Tinkerbell and the War of Talents
by Boomboxninja007
Summary: "There is a darkness inside each and every one of us. It's how we deal with that darkness that defines who we are." A new threat is coming to Pixie Hollow, one that can destroy everything. An old legend is about to be fulfilled. A war is coming and, in a world of secrets and danger, no one is safe. (Clean, good humor, think a Marvel movie without all the swearing :))
1. Prologue

**A/N: I have officially lost my mind. LOL. Let's do this!**

* * *

Queen Clarion hovered atop the Pixie Dust tree. Below her, fairies twirled and leaped to the strum of the violinists. The moon cast a golden glow into the ring, illuminating the dust on the fairies' wings, showering the clearing in a downpour of amber light. Clarion watched them, her expression grim.

Behind her, a sparrowman hovered, his icy white hair drenched in gold and his piercing blue gaze flashing. Frowning, he lifted his eyes towards the heavens. A moment passed and Clarion did the same. They stared at the night sky. The blood-red moon and silver stars twinkled in a sequence of flashes as though laughing down at them. Even the darkness seemed to allude to danger.

"The time has come," Lord Malori spoke darkly. "The harvest moon is upon us."

At first, Queen Clarion did not acknowledge the winter fairy. Her gaze dropped back to Springtime Square...and all those who had gathered there. She watched them, possibly pitying them. Possibly concerned. It was difficult to tell.

"Have you told them?"

Clarion jerked her attention from the fairy circle but refused to face Malori or answer his question. Instead, she fixed her eyes on the Pixie Dust tree which shone with life. It was beautiful. She could hardly believe that such a world of peace and beauty could be on such a war path. It just didn't feel...right.

"_Clarion_." The Lord of the Winter fairies, seeing that she wouldn't respond, spoke more harshly. "You _have _to tell them the truth! Tell them-"

"Tell them _what_, Malori?" Clarion demanded, whipping around finally to face him. "That everything they've ever known has been a lie? That Pixie Hollow is about to be destroyed? And how do you suggest I do that exactly?"

Malori stared at her, disappointment igniting across his face. "There was a time when you would never have second-guessed yourself. A time when you would have announced the truth proudly to anyone who would listen. Believe me. I remember."

"That was a long time ago," Clarion mumbled. "I was young. Foolish. I was-"

"The bravest fairy I'd ever met," the sparrowman cut her off. "Look," he added, noticing her hesitancy. "I know how hard it must have been seeing him turn. But there was nothing you could do about it then. You saved us all. He wouldn't have and you know it. Now you have a chance to protect us once more."

"But it's not me," Clarion argued. "The bracelets have chosen a new Protector."

"A-another?" Malori blinked, as though unsure he'd heard her right. "How? When?"

"At their Arrival," Clarion responded shortly. "Several years ago."

"And you're just telling me this _now_?"

"It was never of any importance until now," the queen responded. "Never has the Harvest Moon and the Season Turn fallen on the same day. And you know what that means. He'll be freed tonight. I doubt twenty Springs locked away will have changed his opinion one bit. He'll come back, Mallory. And...and I can't stop him." A single tear formed in her eyes. Mallory noticed this.

"Is _that_ what you're so concerned about?" he questioned. "Why? If you know who the fairy is, why don't you just go to them and tell them the truth?"

Clarion sighed. "I may not have much option," she confessed. "But what if they aren't ready to know the truth? What if they end up like him? Pixie Hollow can't take a repeat of history."

"Well, he was a tinker. Surely this Protector couldn't be..." Malori trailed off when he saw her expression. "No no, please tell me that's not true...it couldn't be..."

"It is."

"_Two_ tinkers in a row? The odds of that...are so astronomical..."

"But yet, it makes sense in a kind of weird and twisted way," she smiled wryly. "We had a tinker become the Protector of Death. Why not have one as the Protector of Life?"

"But...you know the legends!" Malori spluttered. "Scarab warned-"

"I know."

"And there's nothing you can do?"

"No. The tinker was chosen. I can do nothing but guide them now. But still, what if-"

"Test them."

"Pardon?"

"You know, tell them the truth. Train them. See if they really have what it takes."

"You mean _deceive _them?"

Malori shrugged. "Not really deceive. More like...nudge them forcibly in the right direction. That way, we can't make the mistake we did last time."

Clarion hesitated, like she didn't like what he was suggesting. But yet, as she hovered there, she knew he was right. There was really no other option. This had to be done. Even if it could potentially destroy everything she'd worked for...Pixie Hollow was in danger. He had to be stopped...one way or another.

"All right," she told him. "I'll consider it. I don't like it, mind you. Nothing good can come of this...this trick. But if it protects Never Land, then I suppose I really have no option."

Malori nodded. "I understand how hard this decision was for you. I won't push you do anything. Just...remember...be gentle okay? You remember what happened the last time when you were too hasty..."

"I do."

And that was that. The conversation ended. Both fairies returned to staring off into the distance. Silence held between them. And then, finally, Malori glanced over at the Queen. "Clarion."

She looked over at him. "Yes?"

"Happy Harvest."


	2. Chapter 1

_The stars were lined with tears. The full moon was shrouded by thick black clouds that stretched and grew like a ravenous beast. Even the wind seemed to whisper one word._ Failure.

_A lone fairy stood, overlooking a valley that was filled completely with smoke. He could see the tongues of fire lapping greedily at the sky but he did not care. All of fairydom had to pay for making him this way, for cursing him. They could watch their precious world fall apart around them and know that they had brought it upon themselves. _

_He turned away and began to walk back down the side of the hill. Then, he paused. Out of the silence, he could hear his name being called but the real question was who would be daring enough...or _dumb_ enough...to chase after him?_

_He whipped around as a second fairy charged up behind him. "Stop!" she screamed. She was covered in soot from head to toe and had somehow managed to survive the explosions. "What have you done?"_

_"What I had to," he spat. "I should have been respected for what I did, not cast aside because a few pitiful fairies were afraid of what I can do! And if you think I care who I hurt, think again. I don't need you...or anyone else...telling me what to do!"_

_"I don't believe that," she fired back. She took a step towards him. "And neither do our friends!"_

_"Stay away from me!" he hissed, raising a hand in front of him as if he was planning to blast her. She hesitated. "You know nothing about me!"_

_"Enlighten me, then!" she shouted back._

_"I'm the Protector! My job is to keep Pixie Hollow safe from evil. But what happens when I _am _that evil? Who stops me then? _You_?" He laughed. "You never had what it took to face me until now. And why is that?"_

_"Because I hoped you'd change!" came the retort. "But I can see now how wrong I was. You won't become good and you certainly cannot rule Pixie Hollow! So you leave me no choice. I have to banish you from Pixie Hollow." She lifted a hand above her head and thrust it forwards. Black streaks of light seeped up from the grass, circling him and forcing him back._

_"Your pitiful magic tricks will never defeat me!" he hissed. Red lightning exploded from his hands and he matched the light blow for blow, slashing them to little bits, watching in satisfaction as they floated harmlessly to the earth. "You don't have the guts to do it." He took a step forwards. She retreated at step, eyes widening fearfully. He saw this. "You're afraid," he jeered._

_She narrowed her gaze to glare at him. "I'm not afraid," she retorted. "But I think you are."_

_He barked out a laugh. "Me? Afraid? And what might I be afraid of, pray tell? You? I hate to break it to you, C, but you really aren't all that terrifying."_

_She scowled. "Enough of this! The time for your reign of terror is _over_!" _

_Lightning flashed overhead. The two fairies braced themselves for what was coming next. Light exploded from both of them and met halfway, smashing into dust. The sparrowman made the first move, lunging forwards with ball of lightning forming between his hands. The girl jumped backwards, out of the way, summoning up a wave of fire around her. "Stand down," the sparrowman spat._

_"You first," she retorted. Then, in a split second, she reacted, swinging her arms around her head and thrusting them forwards. The fire leaped at her command, rushing towards her opponent like a raging tiger. _

_The sparrowman released his lightning and threw up his arms to shield himself. The fire sped around him as though reflecting off of some unseen barrier and smashed into a nearby tree, setting it ablaze. He chuckled, as though finding something highly amusing. _

_"Give up," the girl spat. "This war is finished! You've lost!"_

_"On the contrary," the sparrowman retorted with a wicked grin. "I've won."_

_A tremendous explosion rocked the forest around them. The earth lurched violently and both fairies were unbalanced. The sparrowman recovered first, leaping into the air and forming a ball of fire between his hands. The light reflected the evil in his eyes and the fear of his opponent. _

_"Goodbye, Clarion."_

_He threw the fire. The world was consumed in darkness. _

And then he awoke_. _


	3. Chapter 2

It was a beautiful morning in Pixie Hollow. The sun was shining brightly. The birds were singing their happy songs in the treetops. There wasn't a cloud in the sky. Everything seemed to be just perfect in the world.

And Tinker Bell absolutely _hated_ it.

It was one of those days. The kind of day when everything went just right and nothing was broken. The kind of day that every fairy talent wished for. Every talent, that is, except for hers. Tinkers were naturally antsy when there was nothing to poke, prod, or just plain out rebuild from the ground up but today seemed to be the worst. For what else was a tinker supposed to do on a shiny happy spring morning when there was nothing to be repaired? Fairy Mary seemed to be the only tinker-talent to really appreciate the day off. Most of the others hadn't had any idea what they were supposed to do with their free time. Some had begun a game of fairy tag in Springtime Square while others, like Tink, had decided just to go for a pleasant stroll through Pixie Hollow.

_This is nice, _she thought to herself._ No dangerous stunts. No Neverbeasts rampaging...or saving...Neverland. Maybe it'll be nice to have a bit of peace for once._

She paused near Havendish Stream and her gaze was drawn towards the heavens. She frowned, noticing, once more, how large the moon was compared to the sun. There it hung, alongside the sun, its glow almost overpowering the day light. It had been this way ever since Harvest. It was a phenomenon that couldn't be explained. No one understood it...not even the fairy talent whose _job_ it was to know. She'd heard that even Queen Clarion had been paying unusually close attention to it. _Whatever it is, it must be pretty important if the Queen is concerned. _Tink had gone to the Book Nook hoping to find something to help decipher it but had been unsuccessful. Either someone else had beaten her to it, or no one had ever seen it until now. She was sure she knew which one it was. _I wonder what it is..._

_It doesn't matter_, she told herself sharply, cutting off any further conversations with herself. She was determined not to stick her nose into another mystery or join any more of her friends' escapades until she'd recovered from the last one. Besides...she'd promised Queen Clarion she'd start being more careful. Funny how the Queen seemed to think she wasn't.

Pixie dust rained down on her and she snapped out of her own thoughts and glanced back over her shoulder, spotting a familiar black-haired fairy zipping towards a cluster of large flowers. Late bloomers she supposed. "Vidia!" she called, waving after her friend.

The fast-flying talent gave her a small wave before disappearing from view.

Tink took a deep breath, turning and readying herself to continue on her walk. There were so many things she could do in her day off. She could watch the water-talents practice for the upcoming talents-show or she could go see her sister. It _had_ been a while since she'd seen Periwinkle. Ever since Gruff, the Winter Woods had been in a state of repair. Maybe she could be of some help there. _Right. That's what I'll do then!_ _Maybe they'll know something more about that crazy moon..._

The walk through the Autumn Woods was a pleasant one. She waved to Fawn as the animal-talent herded a bunch of baby bunnies towards their burrow and passed Iridessa as the light-talents practiced bending light in the meadows.

A frost fairy was there to meet her when she arrived at the border between Autumn and Winter. It was Gliss, one of Periwinkle's best friends. She waved excitedly as Tink approached. "Hiya, Tink!" she called as Tinker Bell crossed the border and shuddered by the sudden drop in temperature. "Whatcha doing here?" She moved to cover her friend's wings with a thin layer of frost.

"Hi, Gliss," Tink replied. "I came to see Peri. Have you seen the moon?" She gestured towards the sky.

"Yeah," the frost-talent responded. "It's weird isn't it? No one can figure it out. Dewey is determined it's an _omen_."

"An omen?" Tink repeated disbelievingly.

"Yes. Like, something bad is coming. Something that can shift the balance...you know?"

"Er...no," Tink confessed. "But I'm sure it's nothing. It's the Harvest Moon after all. Sometimes it's just a little weird. I'm sure it'll be back to normal soon enough."

Gliss shrugged. "If you say so." She didn't sound convinced. "There you go." She stepped back into view, grinning boldly. "Peri's probably ice-skating near the Frost Forest."

"Thanks," Tink said, turning and beginning to walk away.

"Oh! And Tink?"

She turned to face Gliss who hung back, looking hesitant. "Yes?" she asked.

"Just...be careful."

Tink frowned. "What is that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing! Just...the ice is really slippery!" Gliss hastily spun and took off, disappearing into the trees and out of sight.

_Huh. That's odd. I could have sworn there was something else she wanted to tell me_. Frowning, Tink started to walk off again, still puzzling over Gliss. The frost-talent was usually so light-hearted and cheerful. This was such a sudden change, she wasn't sure what to think._ I'm sure everything's fine. She probably just...sounded more ominous than she meant to. Yeah. That's gotta be it._

The Frost Forest was shimmering in a mysterious light. It was impossible to tell whether the glow originated from the sunlight of the trees themselves. There was a kind of silence that was a kind of peaceful. A silence that could scarcely be found in the bustle she was accustomed to. Just another reason Tink loved having a sister to visit.

A great shadow fell over her as she landed in the ankle-deep snow and ducked into the cover of the snow-filled canopy. She listened to the nervous breaths of a hare lying in a nearby bush and the flutter of birds hidden in the crystal-like heavens.

"Tink! Hey! Tink!"

Hearing her name being shouted from the trees, Tinker Bell turned. There, swooping in pixie-dust filled circles, was Periwinkle. The white-haired frost-talent waved as she looped around a nearby branch. In her wake, a brand new batch of frost curled around the tree, causing it to sparkle and glimmer like its neighbors.

A grin spread across Tink's face as she waved back. Peri swooped down, kicking up a storm of snow behind her as she skidded to a halt before Tink, arms thrown out wide for a hug which Tink obliged to immediately. "Hi!" Peri squealed. "What are you doing here?"

"I...came to see you," Tink replied breathlessly, feeling like perhaps a lung, or both, had been crushed. "I wanted to see if you'd seen the harvest moon yet."

"The moon?" Peri broke away from her and took a step backwards. She seemed okay but there was a slight tremble in her voice, just like there had been one in Gliss's. Tink was starting to feel a bit irritable that everyone seemed to know something was going on except for her. "Oh, yeah, yeah," she waved a hand dismissively. "Yeah, I saw it alright. Big. Bright. Orange. It's the moon. What else could it be?"

"Peri?"

"Yes?"

"What are you hiding?"

"Who says I'm hiding anything?" Her voice rose tremendously.

"You're doing exactly what I do when _I'm_ hiding something," Tink responded. "So, come on, spit it out. What is it? Is it something I said? Is it something about the moon?"

"Er...it's nothing," Peri said, brushing it off quickly as though it were nothing more than a snowflake or a speck of dirt. "It's beautiful, Tink. The Harvest is the best time of the year."

"Why's that?" Tink asked, curious.

Peri smiled, bringing her fingers to her lips. "Because that means winter is right around the corner." She gave two shrill whistles and then silence once again fell over the woods. The two stood there, staring at one another for a moment, neither speaking a word. Then, suddenly, the earth gave a violent lurch. Tink cried out as she was sent flying backwards into the snow. Peri laughed as she darted into the air a few feet away. For a moment, Tink was confused as to why she was laughing so hard. And then she realized what had caused the tremors.

A huge furry object came barreling out from the trees before them. It leaped into the air and landed with an excited purr before them, sending a wave of snow in their direction which immediately buried them both.

"Fiona!" Tink gasped as the snow fell away and she was left standing there, shivering. "H-how l-lovely to see y-you again!"

The bobcat meowed happily and let out a loud purr that seemed to shake the ground. Tink and Peri laughed as they walked up to stroke the feline. Peri then turned back to face Tink. "Dewey knows more about these kinds of things than I do. He might know something that can explain the moon's appearance. Because what do I know? I'm only a frost fairy." She smiled wryly.

"Hey, don't make it sound like it's such a bad thing," Tink joked as they settled down on Fiona's back.

"_Never_!" Peri answered with a grin. "All right, girl!" she added, patting the bobcat gently in the side. "Let's get moving."

Those appeared to be the magic words. Fiona let out an excited meow and took off at a lightning speed. The two fairies whooped and gripped the bobcat's fur tighter as Fiona kicked into high gear and cleared a fallen tree in a single bound. A cold skin-piercing wind lashed at Tink's face and she blinked back frozen tears, shivering as she pulled her coat tighter and hunched behind Fiona's head for a bit of protection.

"Hang on!" Peri whooped, leaning down and bracing herself. "_Yah_!" She shouted, kicking the bobcat as if it were a horse. Fiona responded instantly by increasing her gait. The Frost Forest was disappearing in the distance. Up ahead, Tink could see the distinguishable outline of the library against the sleek side of a mountain.

"Dewey!" Peri shouted, bursting through the front doors moments later as Tink more cautiously dismounted Fiona before following. "Dewey! Where are you?" Her voice echoed off of the icy walls as the two entered, scanning for the Keeper.

"Over here!" came a voice from near the back of the room behind a humongous mountain of ice-bound books. A moment or two passed and then he appeared, ice walking-stick in hand. "Periwinkle! Tinker Bell! What a surprise! Come in, come in! What can I do for the two of you?"

"Hi, Dewey," Tink said with a small smile. "We were just wondering what you knew about the Harvest Moon."

"Ah...of course," the Keeper seemed faintly amused. "I have a book on it. Now, where did I put it? I really should create some sort of filing system for all of this. This is just getting silly. And you'd think after one fairy came looking for it that perhaps others might as well. Oh well."

Tink and Peri shared a look. _Wait...what?_ "Someone came to ask you about the Harvest Moon?" Peri gasped.

"Indeed," Dewey responded as he continued to search. "But why do you sound so surprised? It's not at all unusual for the curious to come to see me. I am the one who writes all of the books after all."

"I suppose..." Tink trailed off. _It was still a bit odd, _she thought_. Considering no one I talked to seemed to notice anything unusual about it_.

"Oh! Here it is!" Dewey interrupted her thoughts as he returned, holding a thin brown book out to her. "That's everything that we know about the Harvest. Particularly the part of the prophecy."

"Prophecy?" Peri echoed. "What kind of prophecy?"

"Guess you'll have to read that for yourself," he replied with a wink.

"Well, thank you," Tink said, tucking the book under her arm. "Peri...it was great to see you but I probably should be getting back to Tinker's Nook. You know, in case something comes in that needs repaired."

"Oh, you and your tinkering," Peri laughed, throwing an arm around her sister's shoulders. "All right, Fiona and I will give you a ride back to the Frost Forest, 'kay?"

"That would be great," Tink said with a nod. "Thanks."

They whooped and laughed all the way back. But, underneath the happiness, Tink's mind was whirling. She'd never heard of a prophecy about the harvest moon. She was curious to see exactly what Dewey had meant. After saying farewell to Peri and Fiona, she decided to walk back to the border instead of flying.

She noticed many animals peeking out of the shadows at her. Hares, owls, and little raccoons all seemed attentive, focused on something just up ahead. This made her curious. This curiosity was only peaked even more when she spotted a strange light flickering on and off in a patch of frost-coated trees near the border. She decided to investigate and flew in for a closer look.

She landed behind a tree, scanning the woods around her, not seeing out of the ordinary. But then again, she'd been sure she'd seen some kind of light. And since the sun was currently behind a patch of clouds, she knew it couldn't be that. There had to be another explanation. Perhaps some of the light-talents had decided to come to Winter to practice.

A stick broke behind her. She jumped, twirling around to face the darkness. "Who's there?" she questioned. "Iridessa?" Silence was her only greeting. _That's weird_. "Hello? Is anybody there?"

A dark shadow moved slightly behind a nearby tree. Tink started to take a step towards them when a scream broke the silence.

"TINK! LOOK OUT!"

Tink whipped back around towards the sound in confusion to see a bolt of electricity come barreling out of the darkness and plow right into her, sending her soaring backwards at a tremendous speed.

She hit the snow and the world faded to black.


	4. Chapter 3

"Ohhhh," she groaned as she slowly began to come around. The first thing she felt was the sheer coldness of lying in the snow. The second thing was the pain that sparked through her body as she attempted to move. She heard frantic footsteps crunching through the snow towards her and she moaned, struggling to move as someone dropped to their knees beside her. She felt a hand on her shoulder.

"Nuts and bolts! Tink, are ya all right?"

She recognized that heavy accent almost immediately. "Bobble?" she groaned as she opened her eyes and spotted her red-headed friend.

"Here," he said, taking her hand and pulling her to her feet. "Ya should get out of the snow before you freeze. What were ya doing down there anyway?" He stared at her as though he knew something that she didn't. She didn't like that feeling one bit.

"That...lightning," she said, dodging his question. "Did you see...where it came from?"

"Lightning?" he frowned. "What lightning?"

"The lightning that was just..." she trailed off, realizing how insane she must have sounded. The sky was clear. There wasn't a single storm cloud for miles around. "Never mind," she added quickly._ He'll just think I'm crazy_. "That's so weird..."

"_Tink,_" he said urgently. "Are you _sure _you're all right? Ya didn't hit your head or anything did ya?"

"No..." she said slowly. "I don't think so..." She looked around, still seriously confused. She was sure of what she'd seen. But it wasn't possible. So how could she have seen it? There were no signs of a storm...not even a squall. And lightening did not just spawn out of nowhere. She tugged at her hair in irritation. "You haven't...see anyone around here have you?" she questioned. "Any storm-talents?"

"No. I can't say that I have. Tink, what's going on?"

"I don't know," she confessed. "But I plan to figure it out. Thanks, Bobble. See you later." With that, she turned and flew off, back towards Autumn.

_None of this makes sense_, she told herself as she passed out of Winter and nimbly darted through the falling leaves of Autumn. _I know what I saw. There was someone else there. And that someone hit me with lightning. But how? Bobble said he didn't see anyone. So either he hit me with lightning...which is completely impossible...or whoever it was got away before he arrived. _

She pulled out the book from Dewey, scanned it, and then sighed. Reading had never been her favorite past-time but it looked like she wasn't going to have much of an option. _Ugghh_.

She found a fallen tree and dropped down to read. Taking a moment to breathe, she got her first good look at the book's cover. It was old. She ran a hand over it. Like, really old. There was no way Dewey could have written it. She opened the cover and read the carved date. _1839_. _That's almost two hundred years old,_ she realized with a jolt. _How long has Dewey been holding on to this book? _She turned the page over and read the first page.

_If you have found this book, that means my spell must have worked. Who I am doesn't matter. What does is this-_

_Neverland as you know it is about to change._

_For many generations, a secret has been hidden from fairykind to protect the world from the dangers that I created. There was once an experiment. A test to see if a fairy of one talent could change, develop a second talent, just as powerful as the first. I was the first of their tests. I was a Animal-talent but I'd always dreamed of being a Fast-flying talent. The tests succeeded. At least, I thought they did. For a while, everything seemed to work just perfectly. But then, I realized a mistake had been made. Not only did I find I had one extra talent, I discovered that I, in fact, had all of them! I called this phenomenon the Bond ability. I never thought twice about it. _

_I should have._

_For I was not the only one like this. There were others, others who never even went through the test, who showed signs of having more than one ability. At the current time, it didn't make any sense. But then a pattern began to form. Every few years, whenever danger would come to Pixie Hollow, another fairy would reveal special abilities-more talents. Always around the Harvest Moon. And there would always be two._

_We came up with a name and theory as to these occurrences. We determined that one fairy would be granted the powers of light, wind, animal, ice...all the talents of wisdom and gentleness. The other would be granted with the power of storms, hail...all the talents of darkness and wickedness. It became obvious, even just from knowing the two fairies, that one represented life and the other death. We called them Protectors for that's what they seemed to do._

_I was the first Protector of Life._

_My best friend, Shade, transformed into the Protector of Death, totally and absolutely bent on destruction and hate. He became so obsessed with showing off, proving that his powers were better than mine, that he didn't care what or who he hurt. Eventually, I knew he had to be stopped. For that, I created five bracelets, four of which stood for the four seasons of the year: Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter. The fifth was the 'one to rule them all' as all the books say. They were the only things that could take back a Protector's power. With them, I thought I could save Shade. But the cost of using them was too high._

_I failed._

_Eventually, I realized there was no choice. I was forced to banish him from Pixie Hollow. _

_It has been many years since I last saw my friend. I know he's out there still, somewhere. And I know him. He'll keep trying to find a way back. But I have seen many Protectors rise since him. I've seen their strength and resolve and I have no doubt that, when he does finally return, they'll be ready. _

Tink finished reading and inhaled loudly. "_Whoa_," she breathed, blinking, struggling to take in everything she'd just read. _So this was what Peri and Dewey were trying to tell me. Protectors. Life and Death. _

_Wow._

There was a crack of thunder overhead. Tink jumped and sprang back just as the first droplets of rain began to fall. Sighing, she tucked the book under her arm and took off at a slow pace. She wasn't going to try and fly. It was far too risky for a fairy to attempt and fly. The water would make their wings too heavy. Besides, Tink didn't really mind a walk.

A bolt of lightning illuminated the sky overhead and, for a moment, she cringed, half-expecting to be hit a second time. When nothing happened, she broke into a run, charging back towards Tinkers' Nook.

The wind was really beginning to howl as she arrived home, slamming the door shut with a sigh of relief. Outside, the storm continued to rage. Setting the book on her worktable, Tink frantically attempted to wring out her hair and dress and went over to her shelves where a stack of scrolls were waiting. She picked through them for a moment before finally pulling one off of the bottom. Moving the book aside, she spread it out on the table before her and grabbed something to write with. From there, she began to sketch out an outline of a new project. If there was nothing to fix, then she would just create something of her own.

That's what she was best at after all.

She thought for a moment, pulling together all of the things that she'd need to invent something that would benefit Pixie Hollow. The words of the book kept squeezing their way into her brain, making it hard for her to concentrate. Her hand hovered over the empty page, waiting. But nothing would work. She just couldn't focus on anything.

Sighing, she put the pencil down and bonked her head on the table as though that was going to help at all. "Think," she ordered herself. "Think! You're a tinker for goodness sake! You've got this! Totally! Completely..." She trailed off, staring at the blank page in front of her.

"Oh forget it."

There was a flash of lightning and that was followed by a crash of thunder, and a loud knock on her door. She leaped to her feet, hurrying to the door and opening it to find a shivering and drenched Fawn standing there.

"Fawn? What are you doing out there?" Tink questioned. "Do you want to come in?" she stepped back and made room for the animal-talent to come forwards.

Fawn shook her head. "N-no thanks," she said, teeth chattering. "Actually, I came to get you."

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"The Queen's gathering everyone at the Pixie dust tree," Fawn explained. "Must be something big, huh?"

"Must be," Tink agreed with a nod. "To summon us in this kind of weather. Hang on a minute." She ducked back inside. A moment later, she reemerged with a rain jacket and a leafbrella. "I wonder what this is all about?"

"Don't know," Fawn replied as Tink closed her door and the two of them started off down the path towards the heart of Neverland. Tink blinked, peering through the rain, just barely able to make out the golden glow of the Pixie dust tree in the distance. It was a long walk there. There was no doubt they were going to be soaked by the time they arrived. Already a large amount of water was piling up around their feet. "But it sounds like Winter is getting it a lot worse than we are?"

"Seriously?" Tink questioned, turning to walk backwards. "I was there only a few minutes ago! There wasn't a cloud in the sky!"

"That's strange," Fawn muttered. "The Queen said that they weren't expecting a storm. But I guess that's Neverland for you. Sunny one moment, stormy the next, right?"

"Right," Tink said distractedly. She thought back to Dewey's warning and the lightning. Was all of this somehow connected? And if so, how? Was someone trying to sabotage something? Or maybe..._destroy_ something?

"Tink?" Fawn seemed to notice something was bothering. "What is it?"

"Oh...nothing..." Tink lied. "Just thinking. Remind me that there's something I think I show everyone when we get back, okay?"

"Okay." Fawn nodded, of course, having no idea what Tink was talking about.

"Tink! Fawn!"

They turned to see Silvermist and Rosetta running towards them. Well, Silvermist was running, looking as though she was thrilled to be out in the rain. Rosetta, on the other hand, as she was prone to doing, was attempting to sidestep every muddy rain puddle. They waited for a moment for them to reach them.

"Hey," Tink greeted them, smirking as Rosetta missed a puddle and with a squish, her shoe stuck. "Did you guys here about the meeting?"

"We did," Silvermist said quietly. "What do you think it's about, do you suppose?"

"No idea," Tink responded. "But we should probably get moving. It's going to start soon."

"Good idea." Silvermist turned back to face Rosetta. "How are you, Ro?" she called.

"Oh, I'm peachy," Rosetta called back, waving a dismissing hand. "Don't worry a posy about me. Go on ahead, I'll be with you shortly."

"Are you sure?" Fawn questioned.

"Yes, yes, please, go on. I don't want you to be late because of me. Really."

"Well, okay, if you're sure."

"I am. Go on."

"All right, see you soon then, Rosetta."

The three fairies turned and began hurrying off towards the Pixie dust tree, towards where Queen Clarion was waiting.


	5. Chapter 4

The meeting was about to begin.

Fairies of all talents had gathered to hear the Queen's message. Already whispers had begun to spread from one fairy to another. Everyone seemed confused as to why they were there and Queen Clarion had yet to appear.

Rosetta eventually caught up to them. She was covered from head to toe in mud as if she'd fallen in several puddles. Hovering over her was Vidia, the only fairy unaffected by the rain, and Iridessa and Clank trailed behind.

"Hey, everybody," Tink greeted them. "Rosetta, what happened to _you_?"

"Let's just say I got up close and personal with some of the mud," Rosetta responded. "Any sign of the Queen yet?"

"Nothing yet," Tink answered. "But she should be here any minute. By the way, where's Bobble?"

They all shook their heads. "I haven't seen him," Iridessa confessed. "He wasn't in Tinker's Nook, I can tell you that much."

"Hmmm."

Tink looked like she wanted to say something but before she could get the chance, there was a flutter of wings overhead and they all turned to see Queen Clarion appear from the darkness. One look from her face was all that was needed to tell that something was very wrong. "Fairies and sparrowmen," she spoke in barely more than a whisper. "Thank you all for coming. I'm sure by now you are all wondering why you've been called here on this stormy afternoon. Something has come to my attention, something I feel I need to share with all of you." She turned and swiped at the air. Immediately, the lights around them began to dim. "Many of you have heard what is happening in Winter this afternoon."

The whispers exploded into a thunderous roar. The Queen gestured kindly for them to quiet back down. "I do not wish to concern you, but, this storm which originated somewhere in the Winter Woods, is not ordinary. I sent the storm-talents to try and disperse it to no avail. There must be another cause for these strange weather patterns. I'm asking you all for your help. Do any of you have any ideas?"

"Is it Gruff?" spoke up someone from the crowd.

Tink saw Fawn perk up at the thought. That made Tink think. Was it possible? Could Gruff be back?

"Though that's certainly a possibility," Nyx interjected from her place above their heads. "Gruff has returned to his thousand year slumber. What could he possibly be doing up now?"

"That's fair," Fawn murmured, deflated almost immediately.

Tink hated to admit it but what Nyx was saying did make sense. So what else could have happened? What could have caused the storm?

"Zarina, have you been mixing any new Pixie dust?" another voice suggested.

"No," came Zarina's voice from across the room. "Just garden and light talent this month. This is _far _beyond my capabilities."

"Thank you, Zarina," the Queen said gently. "No, I don't think this is anything that we've ever faced before. This is something new. Or something old that we are just now finding out about." There was something in her voice...something that caught Tink's ear immediately. _What's on her mind? _she wondered._ Does she know something? If so, why is she keeping it from us?_

"That's all for now," Clarion continued, her gaze scanning over the fairies as though searching for someone. "Thank you all for coming. And please, if you find anything out, come to me immediately. That's all. You are dismissed."

The crowd immediately began to disperse into little clusters. Hushed whispers rose as thunder rumbled overhead. "What do you think is going on?" Silvermist questioned as the group of friends started for the stairs.

"No idea," Fawn responded for them all. "But whatever it was, Queen Ree seemed really concerned. Did you notice?"

"Yeah," Rosetta joined in. "Something was up. Was it just me or did she seem to know more than she was letting on?"

Tink nodded absentmindedly. Something was still bothering her but she couldn't quite put her finger on what it was.

"Well, now what?" Iridessa asked.

"What do you mean?" Fawn questioned.

"How can we help? Can we investigate? Is a fairy behind this? A creature?"

"You want to try and solve this?" Rosetta translated.

"You make it sound as if it would be easy," Vidia commented from above their heads. They all looked up at her and she shrugged innocently. "I'm just saying, finding the culprit might be dangerous. Think about it, we already know whoever it is can summon weather."

"So we start with the storm-talents," Tink spoke up, getting involved in their conversation.

"But Queen Clarion said the storm-talents couldn't stop it," Clank pointed out.

"That's true," Tink said with a disappointed sigh.

"But maybe one of them knows something," Iridessa argued. "I mean, it could be worth asking them couldn't it?"

"Yeah," Iridessa agreed.

"But until then," Vidia cut in again, pointing down at the ground below them. "Look who it is."

Tink followed her gaze. There, walking at a snail's pace back towards Tinker's Nook, was Bobble. He didn't seem to even realize that he'd missed a rather important meeting. "Come on," Tink said to the others and, together, they surrounded him. "Bobble, where were you?"

"Huh?" He looked at them tiredly. "What? What's going on? What did I miss?"

"The Queen called an emergency meeting," Silvermist explained softly. "And you weren't there."

"Oh. I guess I missed the announcement. Sorry." He started to shoulder his way past them but they weren't going to let him by that easily.

"Hang on a second," Vidia interjected, zipping up and cutting off his hasty retreat. "You went to the Winter Woods today didn't you?"

"Aye. But what's this about?"

"Someone or something in Winter started this storm," Tink explained.

"Oh...wait...you don't think it was _me_ do ya?"

"Don't be silly," Fawn said. "You're a tinker. How could you possibly have caused that storm? No, we were just hoping you might have seen something."

"Oh." He relaxed tremendously. "No. I don't think I did. Then again, I didn't really see anyone else."

"Well, something did this," Vidia said. "And we're going to get to the bottom of it. Care to join us?"

"Maybe another time," he responded. "Right now, I think I'm going to go home. I'll see you all later." Pushing past Vidia, he trudged off, looking downcast and exhausted.

"What's gotten into him?" Vidia huffed. "Anyone else thing he was being a bit paranoid?"

"Yeah..." Tink whispered. "That's not like him at all. Clank?" she spun to face her other fellow tinker. "How long has he been acting like this?"

"What? All nervous-like? Since this morning," Clank admitted.

"Oh, he'll be fine," Rosetta said, shrugging it off. "He's probably feeling a bit under the weather or something. But how are we going to solve this mystery is what I want to know. Can we go to the storm talents? Will they really be able to tell us something? And what if one of them is in on it?"

"The storm-talents did it, in Winter, with lightning?" Vidia scoffed. "You really don't have a clue do you?"

"I don't hear you coming up with any better ideas, Vidia," Rosetta fired back.

"All right, that's enough, both of you," Tink interjected. "Need I remind you that this is serious business we are talking about here? You heard the Queen. _Someone_ is up to no good. We have to find them before they can cause any more trouble!"

"So what are you suggesting?" Vidia questioned.

"First thing tomorrow," Tink decided. "We meet back here. And then we find out who's doing all of this, stop them, and save Neverland, agreed?"

"Agreed," they all answered.

_Thunder rolled through the heavens. Lightning crashed down on the mountainside, striking the cliff and sending rocks crumbling down to the ocean below. Above the chasm, a lone fairy stood. He watched as the boulders fell silently into the roaring waves. Then, slowly, his gaze moved back inland, back towards a faint golden glow that shone through even the thickest gloom. Light poured from his hands and his attention was drawn to the moon overhead. _

_The age of Protectors was long gone. Pixie Hollow was ripe for the taking. And this time...this time...there would be no one to stand in his way._

_He stared at the glowing orb for another moment and then, with a twist of his cape, he was gone._

_The moon, large as a planet, red as blood, hung there, silently observing as dark wisps floated before it and were gone forever._

_ It seemed to be laughing._


	6. Chapter 5

It was about noon by the time everyone arrived and the discussion could begin. As they all gathered around a large mushroom table, Tink spread out a whole mound of papers and diagrams before them. The faint drizzle of rain could still be heard in the leaves above their heads but their attention was not on the storm, but on the conversation that was beginning to unfold.

"So we're sure going to the storm-talents is the best solution?" Vidia questioned. "They aren't always the most...forthcoming...of all the talents. Just...pointing that out."

"True," Rosetta responded. "But then again, not all fast-flying talents are either, are they?"

"Touche."

"As unlikely as it seems," Tink went on. "I still think they are our best option at this point. And even if one of them didn't do it, maybe they know something that can help us find out who did." She lifted a paper up to the light as though searching for something.

"And you're sure this wasn't just some storm?" Fawn questioned. "You know how Neverland works. You can never tell what the weather is going to be from one minute to the next. Remember what happened when we tried to bring Peri here?"

"Yes," Tink sighed. "And I thought we agreed never to speak of that again. Look," she laid the paper down in front of her so they could all see it. "I was up all night, thinking this through and I think I found the storm's point of origin to be right about here." She pointed to a spot on her map just a little bit south of where she'd seen the strange light the day before.

"You stayed up all night? As in, you didn't sleep at all?" Silvermist gasped.

"That's the definition of staying up all night," Rosetta said with a small sigh. "But, sweetie," she added to Tink. "Why would you do that? A fairy needs her beauty sleep, you know? It's kind of an unsaid law."

"This was more important," Tink replied. "Something's behind all of this. This storm, it wasn't ordinary. Normally we get a day or two warning before a storm, don't we?" Slowly the others nodded. "And this time, we had mere moments. This doesn't seem like something that just happened by accident. This was planned. By who may yet be unknown. But they are out there. And we _will_ find them."

"But how does a bit of a map and a point of origin help us?" Bobble questioned from behind them. He was leaning against a small oak, obviously trying to catch up on what he'd missed the night before. Beside him, Clank nodded in agreement, apparently just as confused.

"Because it gives us a place to start," Tink replied. "And as any good detective knows, a beginning is always the most important part to solving any crime."

"Oh..." Vidia raised an eyebrow. "So this is a _crime_ now is it?"

"Crime. Mystery. What's the difference?" Tink waved the question off.

"There's a pretty extensive difference," Iridessa replied softly.

Tink ignored her. "Also, there's something else. I went to see Dewey yesterday to ask him about the Harvest Moon. He gave me this." She slid the book across the table and Fawn picked it up. Immediately, the others gathered around her to read it. "Look at the first page especially."

They did.

"Wow," Iridessa breathed.

"Whoa," Vidia added.

"This...this is real?" Silvermist whispered.

Tink nodded. "It is. And I think it's part of the reason for the strange occurrences recently."

"So...what you're saying is..." Vidia coaxed, frowning, having obviously riddled it all out already.

"I think there's a Protector here in Pixie Hollow," Tink reasoned. "Or in the Winter Woods," she went on, when they all flashed her shocked looks. "After all, that's where all of this seems to be centered."

"So you think it might be a winter fairy?" Fawn asked.

"I don't know," Tink admitted. "At this point, it's too hard to tell. It could be anyone."

"Well, it's not me," Bobble insisted.

"Or me," Clank added.

"Me either," Silvermist commented.

"I don't think it's any of us, here," Tink told them. "But that still leaves a whole bunch of fairies that we can't just walk up to and accuse of causing all of this trouble. There has to be an easier way to narrow down out list of suspects."

"_Suspects_?" Vidia raised an eyebrow. "You're really set on this whole crime thing aren't you?"

Tink ignored her. "Has anyone seen anything? Anyone acting weird or suspicious?" she asked the others who, after a quick glance at one another, shook their heads. "No one?"

"No one," Rosetta told her. "Everyone seems like their normal selves. How are we supposed to tell if anyone is acting different anyhow?"

"Well, I haven't thought that part out yet," Tink confessed. "But I believe our best option would be for some of us to go and see the storm-talents and for some of us to talk to Nyx and the other scouts. Maybe, between the two of them, they saw something."

"That sounds like a good idea," Silvermist said quietly.

"So who's going to go where?" Vidia questioned. "We certainly can't_ all_ interrogate them. That would make whoever it is suspicious for sure."

"I think Rosetta, Fawn, and Silvermist should go and talk to the scouts," Tink suggested. "Meanwhile; Vidia, Iridessa, Clank, Bobble, and I will-"

"Actually," Clank cut her off. "Fairy Mary needs me and Bobble back at Tinker's Nook this afternoon."

"But we can keep an eye out for anyone acting suspicious," Bobble added.

"Okay," Tink said, giving them a nod. "Then Vidia and Iridessa will come with me to talk to the storm-talents. Sound good with everybody?"

"Sounds good," everyone said.

"All right. You all have your missions. We'll meet back here tomorrow morning, okay?"

"Okay."

"Hey," Nyx said flatly as the girls arrived at the scout's headquarters. She was busy polishing her spear and didn't pay them much mind as they entered. "Fawn, Sil, Ro, what can I do for the three of you? This isn't about Gruff is it?"

"No," Fawn assured her as the three of them piled through Nyx's front door. "This is about...something else." She hesitated, possibly due to knowing how Nyx tended to respond, stabbing with her spear and asking questions later. "Have you seen...anything...strange...recently?"

"I'm a scout-talent, Fawn," Nyx responded, unmoved. "I see strange everyday. Do you think you could be a little more specific?"

"Have you seen any fairy going around looking like they are planning on decimating...I don't know..._all of Pixie Hollow?_" Fawn tried to sound casual but there was no way to keep her statement low key.

Nyx dropped her spear. "_What_?" she snapped, wheeling around now to face them at last. When none of them answered, she decided to get right up in their faces. "_What did you say_?"

"Now hold on, sugercube," Rosetta interjected before Nyx could attempt to shake the answer out of the animal-talent. "We aren't jumping to conclusions here, remember, Fawn? We just want to know if you've seen anything out of the ordinary recently. That's all."

Nyx backed off, glaring at Fawn but looking thoughtful at the same time. "Hmmm. Well...there was something two days ago. I was patrolling the Autumn Woods per my daily routine and...I could have sworn I saw water shooting up from the trees."

"Water?" Silvermist began.

"From the trees?" Fawn finished. "Come on, Nyx, you can't be serious! Trees don't shoot water!"

"I am aware of that, Fawn, thank you," Nyx sighed, picking up her spear and laying it back on her desk. "But I'm telling you what I saw. And it's the truth."

"But..." Silvermist said quietly. "Water doesn't come from trees like that..." She frowned, seeming very confused. "It just doesn't make any sense."

"I agree with you, Sil," Rosetta told her. "But something's going on around here. And Tink said she saw light coming from Winter yesterday."

"Light? In Winter?" Nyx's head shot up and she once more turned to face them. "And you're sure about this?"

"Yes."

"First Autumn...and now Winter." Nyx seemed to ponder this for a moment. "Two days in a row. This cannot be a coincidence. This was intentional. Someone wanted us to see this."

"They wanted us to find this?" Fawn repeated. "But...why?"

"That's a question I cannot answer until I know who it is," Nyx responded. "But rest assured, I will find them. And I'll let you know when I do." With that, she passed them and began to take off into the sunshine. "Oh...and by the way...thanks."

"Well, hello, Tinker Bell," Glimmer said kindly as they arrived in Sunflower Meadow. Overhead, several storm-talents swooped and barrel rolled as they practiced with their lightning. "Vidia, Iridessa, how nice to see you all. But what brings you here if you don't mind me asking?"

"We wanted to ask you about that storm yesterday," Iridessa explained. "And we were hoping you could tell us where it came from."

"Oh." Glimmer looked a little taken back but managed to recover quickly. "Actually," she went on. "You'd be surprised how many fairies have come to us since then."

"And?" Tink asked hopefully.

"And I'll tell you the same thing I told them," Glimmer answered. "I don't know where that storm came from. It wasn't scheduled and it certainly wasn't one of ours. Whoever caused that storm, they weren't a storm-talent."

"But how is that possible?" Vidia questioned, getting in on the action.

Glimmer shrugged apologetically. "I don't know," she answered. "I'm afraid I can't really help you. I'm sorry," she added. "But I really need to get back to practice." She pointed towards the sky where the other storm-talents had gathered to wait. "Please excuse me."

"Of course," Tink said slowly, wings drooping in disappointment.

"Oh...and Tink?" Glimmer paused mid-flight and turned back to face her. "I hope you figure this out. Really."

"Thanks."

"Well, now what do we do?" Vidia asked as she and Iridessa turned back to Tink for instructions. The tinker was already in full-power mode. They knew they just had to wait for her to come up with a plan.

"Let's...let's regroup with the others," Tink finally said with a long sigh. "And hope they've had better luck than us."

_A storm was brewing. It grew closer by the hour. _

_He could feel it. It felt like nothing he'd ever felt before. Anger. Rage. Hatred. _

_They weren't his emotions. They didn't belong. What was happening?_

_He glanced towards the glowing heart of Pixie Hollow. He didn't know how much longer he'd be able to hold up the illusion. But he knew they could never find out. No one could know the truth. They'd be afraid of him. And that was the last thing he wanted. The storm the previous evening had only been the beginning. He couldn't control it. He felt the darkness. It was just too powerful...too dangerous. _

_And it was only growing stronger. _


	7. Chapter 6

Queen Clarion gasped as the surge of pain rushed through her body. She grabbed a hold of the windowsill, paling as her heart began to throb and her knees went weak.

Malori, who had been standing behind her, noticed this and hurried to catch her. "Clarion!" he gasped as she struggled to stand back up and put on a determined look. "What is it? Are you _all_ _right_?"

"My...powers," Clarion forced out as she turned and leaned against the window with a wince of agony. "They are weakening. We're running...out of time." Her eyes fell on the golden trails of Pixie dust drifting lazily across the sky as fairies darted everywhere, cheerfully doing their work without a care in the world. It would be so hard to tell them the truth...that the tranquility that they'd always felt had been nothing more than an illusion. How could she tell them? She would lose the trust that she'd worked so hard to gain. That was something she simply couldn't risk. Not now. Not with the threat of_ him _lingering on the horizon. Protector or no, Pixie Hollow needed a strong leader to guide them and she wasn't about to stop being that.

Malori frowned as she pulled away from him. He decided to come and lean against the window next to her. "Do you have a plan?" he questioned, knowing fully well what that look in her eyes meant. No. She didn't have a plan. But they didn't have much option left now. "Clarion..." he began.

She cut him off with a sigh. "No," she answered. "I can't tell them the truth. Not yet."

"But, you see," Malori tried to reason with her. "You have to tell them! If you wait, then there won't be any time left! He'll come back, Clarion! You know he will!"

"Oh, and I suppose you have a way to tell everyone that a war is coming?" Clarion shot back. He said nothing. "That's what I thought. Until the Protector is ready, we can tell them nothing."

"And when will they be ready?"

The Queen sighed. "Believe me," she told him. "When Pixie Hollow's Protector is ready, you _will_ know." She chuckled grimly. "You remember what it was like the last time, right?"

Malori smirked. "How could I forget? Did you not set half of the Autumn Woods on fire?"

Clarion groaned and buried her head in her hands. "It was an accident!" she protested. "And how do you remember that so vividly?" She stared accusingly at him.

He grinned. "I was there too, remember?"

"Oh, yes," she smiled weakly. "That's right. I forgot." She went back to staring out the window. She frowned, spotting another batch of storm clouds gathering in the distance. This was the second time in the past twelve hours. This wasn't ordinary weather for Never Land at all. This was _his _doing. The lightning in Winter...all of it. There was no doubt who was behind all of this. She just wondered how long it would be until he decided to show his face again.

"So...?" Malori questioned, backing up and folding his arms, waiting.

"So?" Clarion echoed distantly.

"Pixie Hollow is in danger," Malori reminded her. "So what are we going to do about it?"

"_We_?"

He seemed faintly amused. "Of course '_we_'. What? Did you really think I was going to allow you to do this all yourself? I_ am_ the lord of Winter after all. It's as much my duty to protect Never Land as yours. So...what are _we _going to do?"

Clarion sighed. "I suppose...we must wait this out...and make ready to weather the storm I fear is on the horizon."

_Twenty years. For twenty years he'd waited._ _For twenty years he'd plotted his revenge. And now, now he was so close. So close, he could taste the goodness flowing from the heart of Never Land. And the Protector of Life...he had felt the shift in power. And it was clear as the morning sky. He was no longer the only Protector in Pixie Hollow. _

_He'd felt this sort of power only once before...from years ago. _

_He glanced back towards the golden glow over the horizon. _

Send me your best, Clarion_, he thought. _For a storm is on its way_. _And_ this time, _it won't be deterred_. _


	8. Chapter 7

Lightning flashed, showering the heavens in gold. A crack of thunder rolled outside the window and fat raindrops splattered against the house and crashed to the earth, causing tiny streams to gush down the hill towards Tinker's Nook.

Tink sighed, watching the storm from the safety of her desk. Lying open in front of her was the book from Dewey. She was rereading for the umpteenth time, searching for a clue to help her locate the fairy behind all of this. _Fairies. _She corrected herself. There had to be more than one, she was sure of it now. She was positive that three talents had been revealed. She counted them off in her head. _Light_. _Water_. _And_ _Storm_. Two Life talents. One Death. There _had_ to be two Protectors in Pixie Hollow.

And she was pretty sure she knew where one of them was.

Storm talent had been the first talent revealed. The Protector of Death had to be in Winter. It was the only logical conclusion. But what about the Protector of Life? Light and Water were both signs of another. But who? It had to be hard enough for one fairy to hide, pretending to be normal. But _two_? Surely someone would have noticed. It wasn't like whoever it was could be inconspicuous. Not when they were going around causing storms day after day. _Someone_ had to have seen them.

_And if Nyx is right, they aren't even trying that hard to hide._

She _had_ to figure this out. It was beginning to get irritating. No one seemed to know anything. Was that real or were they actually covering for someone?She _had_ to know. The suspense was killing her.

Sighing, she turned the page in the book, her eyes quickly scanning the paper which was filled with graphs and charts from Scarab's research. Something about a power transfer. It didn't really make much sense. Even many of the words the animal-talent was using were foreign. Tink stared at the book. _Why can't the ancient fairy use words that make_ sense_?_

She rolled her eyes and pushed the book away from her with a scowl. Once again, her mind reverted back to what she knew. Two Protectors in Pixie Hollow. Right under her nose. Right under everyone's noses. _How can a fairy that isn't even _trying_ to hide be so _difficult _to find?_

Another crash of thunder. She glanced out the window, watching leaves twirl by and the rain drench the earth. It seemed the storm was getting worse. When she'd been in Spring, the sky had been cloudless but, ever since she'd come back to Tinker's Nook, the weather had begun to change. It started with heavy dark clouds and the howling wind quickly followed. It was nothing like the previous storm. It was darker...scarier...than anything she'd ever seen. And it seemed to be getting progressively worse.

_Where are they? _Who_ are they?_

_And why hasn't _anyone_ seen _anything_?_

No doubt someone was covering for at least one Protector. It had to be against all odds for _no one_ to notice anything out of the ordinary. But who? And why not tell anyone? Were they afraid of what the others might think about them? Surely, though, it would be better for them to reveal themselves than to remain anonymous? Especially if the legends were true and Pixie Hollow was in danger. Did they not know? Or simply not care? She couldn't think of any fairy who would stand by and let their home be destroyed, but, somehow, she had to believe that they knew what was happening. That left fear. She understood this one. If she were the Protector, she'd be afraid to learn that she had more than one talent. And keeping it hidden...it would be so taxing.

But that didn't really answer her questions. Who? Where? Why? And, of course, how?

_What I need is someone who sees everyone and has a reason to snoop around and do some digging for me._

_I need Terence._

Her crush would know what to do without a doubt! And, being a Dust-keeping talent, he had to visit every fairy in Pixie Hollow and would _definitely_ know if someone was acting abnormal.

Tink stood up excitedly. She grabbed her coat and leaf-brella and headed to the door. She opened it forcibly, stopping when she found Bobble standing there, moments away from knocking. They both blinked. A flash of lightning snapped Tink out of her trance. "Bobble?" she questioned, stepping outside to join him and closing the door behind her. "What are you doing here? Is everything all right?"

"Tink," he began hesitantly. "Can I talk to ya?" He seemed extraordinary nervous. This was not like him. She wondered what was bothering him.

"Erm..." Tink glanced anxiously towards the Pixie dust Tree. Then, she sighed. "Yeah, sure. But can we do it in transit? I'm just on my way out." She gestured to her leafy umbrella and then to the rain that was now coming down in the bucket-fulls.

He nodded and Tink took off, pacing herself as he hurried after her, knowing that she was far faster than he. To her surprise, however, he had no difficulty keeping up. She frowned. _When did he get so fast_?

_And how is the rain not effecting his flying?_

"So," she called once they were a good distance away from Tinker's Nook. "What is it you wanted to talk about?"

"Well...it's about the Protectors...and...ah..."

Tink glanced over at him curiously. Stammering? Unfinished sentences? Bobble was only like this when he was trying to lie. _Or cover the truth_, a little voice in the back of her mind whispered. _So, that begs the question, what is he hiding?_

"I...I think I might know who...one of them is."

_What_? Tink hit the brakes. Bobble nearly slammed into her. Tink turned and folded her arms, waiting. When he didn't continue, she raised an eyebrow, signaling for him to go on. He did so, extremely nervously.

"Y-yesterday afternoon," he went on. "Right after the storm cleared out, I went to try and find some acorns for that new pulley Fairy Mary requested, remember? And...the best time to find acorns, as ya know, is right after it rains and-"

"_Bobble_," Tink cut him off with a sigh. They weren't here to talk about _acorns_. "The Protector?" She wasn't trying to be rude but she really needed to get going. Terence would be leaving for his rounds soon. She had to catch him before he started out. She really needed his help.

"Er...r-right. Anyway, I can't be sure, but, I was traveling through Summer and...well...I think I saw...light...in the trees. And...I know that the light-talents were practicing in the meadow but...um...this didn't seem like the routine the others had been working on. It was sporadic, ya know? No pattern or reasoning." He shrugged. "I didn't think much of it at the time...but now..."

"That's okay," Tink assured him. "I don't really think anyone was. But thank you for telling me. I'll check it out." With that, she put on another burst of speed. They were racing through Spring now. The Pixie dust Tree was in view.

"Tink? Oh nuts and bolts! Wait up! There's something I have to tell ya!_ Tink?" _He whispered something but she was too far out of earshot to hear what it was.

She ignored him and flew faster. Her mind had already switched from processing what her fellow tinker had told her to determining the best way to ask Terence for help. She certainly didn't think _Terence_ could be the Protector. He'd have told her for sure. Extra-magical abilities or no, they told each other _everything_. And she knew him too well. He'd never be able to keep such a big thing a secret.

She reached the tree a minute later, a bit out of breath. She landed and quickly ran towards the Dust-keeper's workshop, not hearing the hasty footsteps behind her. She arrived at the door just a Terence was emerging, checking over his list once more. The two collided and both ended up on the ground.

"Ouch..."

"Ow...Tink..._what_...?"

They both staggered back up. Terence brushed himself off and turned to face Tink expectantly. "Tink," he said kindly and gently. "What are you doing here?"

"I came to talk to you," Tink replied breathlessly.

"But I'm just about to start my rounds..." Terence tried to explain.

"I know," Tink cut him off with a sigh. "But it's really important!"

Terence set his bag of dust down and nodded. "Okay," he said. "What's up?"

"It's about all this crazy weather we've been having," Tink began to explain. Terence immediately looked interested. He folded his arms, apparently waiting. "I think we figured out who's causing it." With that, she took out the book from Dewey and showed him the page with the notes. He read it. And when he'd finished, he looked up at her in surprise while she explained everything she'd learned in the past day.

"Wow."

Tink nodded. "Exactly. And, we think there's a Protector somewhere in Pixie Hollow. So, I was kind of wondering if you might be willing to-"

"Snoop around and see what I can find out?" Terence finished for her.

She nodded hopefully.

"Of course I will," Terence assured her, picking up his satchel once more. He turned to leave but stopped midstride. "And, have you thought about going to Queen Clarion with this yet? She would love to see this, I'm sure."

"Not yet," Tink confessed. "I was hoping for a little more time to try and solve it on my own before I bothered the Queen."

"Okay. So, one more thing. Have you tried laying a trap yet?"

Tink blinked. "A trap?"

Terence shrugged. "Yeah. I mean, everyone has a pattern, right? And, if these storms are being caused by the Protector, doesn't that mean there must be a point of origin? And, since you've had reports of some odd phenomena in _every seaso_n but _Spring_, wouldn't that be a logical place to start?"

"Spring?" Tink gasped, the realization crashing over her. "I was just there! Bobble and I passed it on the way here..." She trailed off here and looked straight into Terence's eyes. "I have to go."

He just stared, confused. "What? What is it? Did you figure something out?"

She was already gone.

Overhead, the thunder rumbled and the lightning illuminated the heavens. But she couldn't stop. Terence had been right when he said that Spring had been the only season unaffected. And, if her theory was right, the Protector might just be there...

The storm seemed to grow increasingly more powerful the closer she got to the pink blossoms. There was no doubt about it. _This_ was the source of the storm.

_The_ _Protector_ _is_ here.

She landed softly on a tree branch, scanning the distant forest floor beneath her. This was it, she told herself. Up ahead, she could see the lightning shooting wildly between the branches. _It_ _all_ _comes_ _down_ _to_ _this_ _now_. She could feel her heart racing as she slowly began to make her way through the trees. This was the moment, the moment where she got answers to all of her questions.

She stopped now and peered cautiously around a leaf down to the heart of the Spring Forest, down to the source of all the chaos, down to the Protector.

She gasped, not daring to believe what she was seeing.

"It's _you_!"


	9. Chapter 8

He whipped around at her startled exclamation. For a split moment, fear flashed across his features, a fear that was only instigated by the lightning radiating from his hands, and his eyes widened as he realized he'd been caught. "Tink!" he cried, flinching as another crash of thunder echoed from the darkening clouds. "Tink, help me!"

She stared, feeling her world crashing down all around her. "Bobble, _what_-"

"Tink,_ please_!" His voice was high, scared, and it was obvious that he wasn't faking anything. The storm was out of control. He couldn't stop it. It was growing stronger and so was the lightning in his hands. "I...I can't stop it! _Please_!"

Tink was frozen. Half in terror, half in shock. What should she do? What_ could_ she do? This was far beyond something that needed fixing. This situation...it needed a_ miracle_. And she was _definitely _not one of those.

"Tink! I'm _begging _ya!"

_He lied to me._

_He lied to all of us._

_But he still needs help. This storm is only going to get worse. Someone might get hurt. I can't stand by and let that happen. No matter how irked this _entire predicament _makes me._

The thunder grew louder. Tink cast a weary glance toward the heavens. The rain came down harder and her umbrella began to sag from the constant beating. She took a deep breath. _Okay. Here goes nothing. _She darted from the trees and landed before him. She closed her eyes, questioning her sanity, and then reached out and grabbed Bobble's hands. She expected to be electrocuted. But nothing happened.

She cautiously opened her eyes, shocked not to be feeling anything. Bobble looked down too, though more out of shame or surprise, she didn't know. Still, the lightning did not go away, nor did the storm.

"_There!_ Now try and clear up this weather!" she shouted to him over the howling wind. He nodded frantically and took a deep breath. She could feel him quivering. He was the one who had caused all of the weather-but he was as afraid of it as she was. This was not something he had willed to happen. That much was obvious now.

Overhead, the rain began to lighten slightly. The lightning flashed furiously but soon succumbed to the commands Bobble was muttering under his breath. Tink watched, feeling her heart racing out of control, and, as she did, the sky began to clear up. The clouds dissipated into nothingness.

The two tinkers fell apart with identical sighs of relief. Tink leaned against a tree, suddenly feeling utterly drained. As she glanced over at Bobble, she found him balancing himself the same way. Though he looked more horrified than tired. "_You're _the Protector?" Tink finally managed to gasp. "How? When? _Why_?"

"I don't know, my arrival day, and I wish I knew," Bobble answered weakly. "Tink..." he went on seriously, blinking furiously behind his goggles. "Ya _can't_ tell _anyone _about this. It's not safe and I don't want them involved. Promise me you'll keep this a secret?"

"Bobble, I-" Tink began to protest. Keep it a secret? Was he_ out_ of his _mind_? It was a miracle he hadn't hurt anyone yet. Surely she couldn't just let him go. Not when so much was at stake. Besides, she was still irked. He'd stood right there while they were searching, and had lied to their faces.

"Promise me," he interrupted. "Tink, no one can know what I can do. I read that book...the one Dewey gave ya...I was the one there before ya. I know what it means. I know what happened to Shade, and...I'm...I'm scared. What...what if I am bad too? These storms...the lightning...it's been me this whole time. I can't control it. I'm afraid someone close to me will get hurt. And...I don't know what I'd do if anything were to happen to ya-to my friends." He immediately flushed.

Fortunately, Tink paid little notice to his mistake. "You're asking me to _lie_ to everyone," she pointed out. "To cover for you. Bobble, you _can't _keep this a secret! I figured it out! Others will too! And what will you do then?"

"Better to ask forgiveness than permission."

She pointed at him. "Now _don't _go using my words against me. That's not an answer and you know it! You _have_ to tell everyone!" He hesitated and she lowered her voice, realizing how harsh she'd sounded. "Look," she went on. "I know this must be hard to hear...after all, you've been carrying this secret for _who knows _how long...but this is not something that you can keep hiding from everyone."

"But-"

"You have a gift," Tink cut him off before he could argue anymore. "And for better or for worse, you're supposed to use it. And I truly don't believe that you are _anything_ like Shade."

"But...the storm-talent...Tink, that's not a talent of Life!" Bobble protested. "And there have been these moments that I've felt...so angry...and I'm_ never_ angry! Irritated, yes! But never angry! And, right before ya found me outside your house, I was half-considering leaving and continuing to lie to all of ya. I just...couldn't risk it...and what if I _am_ like Shade? What if I try to destroy Pixie Hollow? What if-" He had tears in his eyes now.

"Bobble, stop, just..._stop_," Tink snapped. She fluttered over to him and put a hand on his shoulder. He looked over at her, uncertain. "Don't talk like that. Shade was a super evil fairy who tried to destroy everything!"

"And almost succeeded," Bobble muttered. He glanced up at the dark sky. "I'm just as bad as he was."

"You are _not_ Shade. You are _nothing like_ Shade. Don't compare yourself to him!" Tink snapped angrily.

"But I-"

"No 'buts'," Tink interrupted him. "Now, come on," she stood up straighter. "You're a tinker, right?"

"Aye...?" He sounded extremely wary, possibly knowing her too well.

"And what are tinkers for if not solving seemingly impossible problems?" She smiled at him encouragingly.

He returned it shyly. "I...guess so."

"All right then, let's go." With that, Tink turned and began to fly away.

"Wait...where are we going?" Bobble questioned, hurrying after her.

"We're going to gather the others and then you're going to tell them the truth. And then we're going to the Queen."

"What..._no_! Tink!"

She turned back to face him with a deep frown "Bobble, you _hav_e to do this, all right?" He said nothing. "Okay," Tink sighed. "I didn't want to do this, but I will. Either you tell the others, or I will tell the Queen _myself_."

"_What_?" Bobble protested. "But Tink-"

"Nope. Nope. We're going to do this. Come on." She didn't wait for him.

With a long sigh, he surrendered and followed.

"YOU'RE _WHAT_?" Rosetta screeched, staring at Bobble in utter shock. Her gaze swiveled to Tink. "HE'S _WHAT_?"

"I told ya they wouldn't take it well," Bobble hissed to the blond, keeping his gaze fixed on the ground. And indeed, they weren't. They had gathered around a mushroom cap table in Tinkers Nook and Tink had practically forced the truth out of him. And the others were still reeling from the shock of it all.

"Doesn't matter," Tink hissed back. "It had to be done."

Vidia zipped up to them. Bobble had to lean back to avoid touching noses with her. The fast-flying talent's eyes were narrowed in disbelieve. "_You're_ the Protector?" she scoffed. "The one who's been causing all of this crazy weather?" Bobble nodded slowly. "_Yeah_," Vidia turned away with a shrug. "Why am I finding _that_ hard to believe?"

"Believe what you want, Vidia," Tink answered. "It's the truth. I _saw_ his storm-talent. Granted, it was entirely out of control, but still...it's him without a doubt."

"And we're supposed to believe that he's, _what_, some kind of defender or something? That something bad is coming to Pixie Hollow and only he can save us?" Vidia still looked disbelieving.

"Well_, I_ believe him," Silvermist spoke up, raising her hand. Fawn and Clank nodded in agreement. "So," she added, directing her words to Bobble. "What else can you do?" She seemed eager and excited.

"Er..." Bobble was startled. "Well, not much. I mean, I can...fly fast." He refused to acknowledge Vidia's shocked expression and hastily went on. "And...I might be able to...move water?" It sounded more like a question than a statement.

"Really?" Silvermist gasped. "Show us! _Please!_"

"Oh..." Bobble hesitated. "I don't know if I should...I can't exactly...control it..."

"So just be careful," Vidia suggested with another shrug. "Besides, Silvermist is here. She won't let anything get too out of hand."

"Of course not!" Silvermist agreed. "Wait...what are we talking about?"

Everyone sighed.

"Here," Silvermist suggested, ignoring her friends' groans, taking Bobble's hands and pulling him over to the small stream that flowed through the workplace. "Why don't you try to move the water here?"

He looked nervous, but nodded anyway. Silvermist stepped off to the side as he took a deep breath and raised a hand above the creek. Tink could see him shaking fearfully. She shot Silvermist a look. _Get ready,_ it said. Silvermist nodded, understanding. As they watched, the stream gave an uncharacteristic gurgle and lurched, splashing onto the banks furiously.

Iridessa yelped and sprang backwards in shock. Vidia braced herself to run, but there was no longer any doubt in her eyes. She could only stare, speechless, as Bobble began to summon the water into the air. Beside him, Silvermist stood at the ready, prepared to take over at a moment's notice.

But, for now, everything seemed to be going according to plan. The water curled and spun above their heads, moving lightly along with Bobble's hands.

"Whoa!" Fawn breathed. "That is _so cool_!"

"You really _are_ the Protector," Vidia gasped.

Bobble glanced back at them with a small, hopeful, smile...and that's about when he lost control.

The water gave a tremendous jerk and threw itself out of the line, barreling into Silvermist and knocking her to the ground. Vidia ducked as a wave shot over her head and took down a mountain of unfinished pots and pans.

"Look out!" Iridessa gasped, shoving Fawn out of the way of another rogue wave.

"_Bobble_!" Tink yelled, ducking down behind a wagon as the water exploded in every direction. Her fellow tinker, however, was already frantically struggling to regain control of the situation. He seemed to no longer have any power at all, and the water just continued to crash into things and create havoc.

"I can't...I can't stop it!" Bobble yelled. "Silvermist! _Help_!"

The water-talent sprang back up and hurried over to grab his hands to try and steer the water back into the stream. But it was too late. It was too far out of hand. "_Duck_!" she yelled suddenly, yanking him down to the ground as the water shot over their heads and smashed into the side of Fairy Mary's house. "I can't control it either!" Silvermist shouted. "It's like it has a mind of it's own!"

"So what do we do?" Clank shouted.

Suddenly, there was bright flash of golden light and the water instantly evaporated into thin air. Tink covered her eyes from the flash and, when she was able to see again, she gasped, finding Queen Clarion hovering overhead, a frown etched on her face as she slowly spread her arms and the remaining water seeped up from the ground and crawled back into the stream.

The wreckage was everywhere. The Queen stared down at the friends disapprovingly.

"Queen Clarion-" Tink began, stepping forward now. "Let me explain..."

Clarion looked away from her and focused her gaze right on Bobble who hung his head shamefully. Then, in the calmest, yet, most disappointed voice anyone had ever heard her use, the Queen spoke.

"I think it's about time you and I had a talk."

_The storm faded into non-existence. _

_He looked up, startled, when he realized that he no longer heard the distant rumbles or felt the surge of power that he'd grown so accustomed to. What did this all mean? It meant the Protector was getting stronger, more capable of hiding his powers. But there was still something...something that he knew gave him the upper edge._

_The Protector was a Tinker._

_And, as history had shown, tinkers were never Protectors of Life._


	10. Chapter 9

"Now, would you care to explain what you thought you were doing back there?"

Queen Clarion's voice was not filled with terror. This was the first thing Tink noticed as the three fairies filed into the large room in the Pixie dust tree. Nor was it angry. Not like Tink had expected it to be. She sounded more...disappointed...than anything. All eyes drifted to Bobble as he quietly stepped into the room behind them, nervously wringing his hands, gaze fixated on the floor.

"Here," the Queen went on, gesturing to some chairs. "_Sit_. _Please_." She herself settled behind her royal desk and folded her hands, waiting patiently as the two thinkers obeyed. "Now-" she started again, only to be interrupted by Tink.

"Queen Clarion! It wasn't his fault! Well, not really. He told us he couldn't control his powers but we didn't listen and...well...if you're going to punish anyone..." She took a deep breath. "Punish me."

Bobble glanced over at her in genuine surprise but she kept her gaze firmly fixed on Clarion who looked a bit taken aback at her boldness. "Tinker Bell-" the Queen began to speak.

"It was really my fault," Tink continued quickly. "I knew what he could do. It's as much my fault as his and-"

"_Tinker_ _Bell_," Clarion interjected before Tink could continue with her clear train wreck. "_Please_. Let me explain why I've ask the two of you here. Yes, I know of Phineas' powers. I've known from the start, in fact. It's no secret that he's a Protector."

" W-what? " Bobble stammered. "Y-ya _knew? How?"_

"I have been queen for a _long _time," Clarion answered him kindly. " I've seen all talents...including yours." She gave them a gentle smile.

"So...wait...you're _not_ going to punish him?" Tink could barely believe their luck. Bobble looked up hopefully, still highly guiltily, but with a bit less fear. He wasn't about to be banished from Pixie Hollow. Tink could see him relax almost instantly.

Clarion glanced at her. "Why would I?"

_Um...ask that to Tinker's Nook which now looks like it had a flash flood._ Tink couldn't help but be confused. She didn't want Bobble to get in trouble, of course, but there still some things that needed to be addressed. Like, if the Queen knew about his powers the whole time, why did she never say anything? And why pretend like she didn't?

When neither tinker seemed able to answer, the Queen stood up and beckoned them to join her around a small sanded spruce table. "Come," she commanded gently. "It's all right. No need to be frightened. I'm not punishing you. I want to show you the true potential of a Protector."

Curious, as tinkers were prone to being, Tink and Bobble came to join her. Both still appeared a bit nervous. But not nearly as bad as before.

"Phineas, put your hands on the table," Queen Clarion instructed.

He flashed her a confused look but did as he was told. As he did, a faint blue smoke began to rise from around the rim and the sunlight in the room dimmed. Tink stared, feeling Bobble jerk back in shock as strange lights began to flash and shimmer from within the fog.

"This is the legend of the Protector of Pixie Hollow," Clarion explained. She waved a hand through the fog and the image of a full moon appeared on the surface. "It is an age old legend dating from the founding of Neverland. The first Protector was Scarab, an Animal-talent. She discovered the secrets of Life and Death and ultimately, saved Pixie Hollow from destruction by her evil counterpart, Shade."

Bobble shuttered at the name.

"Since then," Clarion went on. "It has been the tradition of Pixie Hollow to call upon it's Protectors in times of danger. Sometimes, it is from outside threats, but, often, the threat is within our own walls. And that was when the second Protector was found." The scene changed and split, one half lighting up like the sun, the other eclipsed in darkness. "Two fairies. Chosen, gifted with powers, born on the eve of a Harvest Moon on the Autumn Solstice. One good. One evil. Both would battle to determine the fate of all fairydom."

"_Wow_," Tink breathed as the lights spun and seemed to come alive, whizzing around their heads and lighting the room up in sparkles. It was almost as if the light was fighting itself. Beside her, she felt Bobble tense and she frowned, possibly knowing what was coming next.

"But, this time, something deviated from the norm," the queen went on. Suddenly, the light exploded into a million shards and the faint appearance of the moon appeared once more above the table. But it wasn't large and glowing orange as it had been before. It looked...dead. _Like a lunar eclipse,_ Tink realized.

"You see, it is the Harvest Moon that gives a Protector their power," Clarion explained. "But when an event such as this occurs, it becomes...highly difficult...for the magic to be sorted into its proper Protector. They would have been scattered, waiting for the first Protector to come along to latch on to." She turned toward Bobble. "This explains how you can control storms though it is not a talent of life."

Bobble blinked. "So...I'm _not _bad?"

Queen Clarion chuckled. "No."

He sighed in relief at this and removed his hands from the table. Immediately, the fog vanished and the room once more became its bright self. But Tink still had a question. It had been rolling around in her brain for some time now and she was finally ready to ask. "So, how is it you know so much about Protectors?" she inquired.

"I'm queen," Clarion answered. "It's my job to know everything."

"Yes," Tink pressed. "But that's not the real reason, is it?"

Bobble glanced over at her in confusion. "Tink? What are ya thinking?"

She smiled, not taking her eyes off of the queen. "I'm thinking, Queen Ree is...or _was_...a Protector herself. Am I right?" She noted Clarion's shocked expression. Did that mean she had gotten it right? Had it really been _so easy _to guess?

Bobble spun back toward the queen. "Is that true?" he questioned.

Clarion hesitated for a moment before answering. "Yes," she said at last. "Yes, I was. But that was a long time ago. Things have changed a lot since then."

"If ya were a Protector, do ya think you could teach me how to...ya know..."

"Control the talents?" the queen finished for him with a small smile. "Yes, yes, I suppose I could. Mind you, it wouldn't be easy. Learning to harness one talent is difficult for most. But to learn, say, four or more...it's like nothing you could ever imagine. So, yes, I can train you. But you must know, once you start, there is no going back."

Bobble nodded cautiously. He opened his mouth to say something but was interrupted by a loud knock on the door and the impatient huff of Fairy Mary as the head-tinker threw the door open and came zipping in, confronting the queen and seemingly ignoring the two fairies in the corner of the room.

"Queen Clarion! It's horrible! Tinker's Nook has been completely flooded! And my house has been sand-blasted halfway to smithereens!" Her voice was high, panicky. Bobble and Tink shared a guilty glance behind her. "Someone did this! It was clearly sabotage! On me! Of all fairies!" She seemed a bit faint. After all, Fairy Mary had always been a bit over-dramatic about things. Somehow though, this time, Tink didn't blame her.

Queen Clarion immediately put on a serious expression, though it was obvious she was trying to hide a smile. "Yes, Fairy Mary, I am quite aware of the situation and I assure you that we're working on correcting it as quickly as possible." She waved a hand toward Tink and Bobble. "These two have offered to help me clean up."

Tink's jaw dropped. _Wait...what? _She began to protest but Clarion turned away from her to address Fairy Mary once again. "We'll find who did this," she assured her. "But, until then, why don't you just go help your talent out for a while? We'll fix up your house and come find you when its finished." The way she said it, it sounded more like a command than a question. Fairy Mary nodded, casting a suspicious glance at Tink and Bobble before turning and flying back out the door.

"Queen Clarion-" Tink began to complain.

"Why didn't ya tell her the truth?" Bobble interrupted.

Clarion waited until Fairy Mary was out of earshot for sure before answering. "The world of Protectors have remained a closely guarded secret for many hundreds of years," she explained. "And if you're here now, that means trouble must not be too far away. Trust me. It's better if the others don't know."

"And what's this about us helping you clean up?" Tink asked. "You _said_ we weren't going to be punished."

The queen seemed to find something about this highly amusing. "Who said anything about punishment? No, this is training." She looked once more at Bobble.

"And your first lesson begins right now."


	11. Chapter 10

_Welcome to the New Age_. ~ "Radioactive" by Imagine Dragons ^

The rebuilding took a good portion of the day. Even with all eight of them working hard, it was still almost nightfall by the time they were far enough along to call it a day. When the call finally came from an exhausted Fawn, Clank was found against a tree, sound asleep. Silvermist was hovering nearby, hovering above the ground by mere centimeters, looking moments away from passing out, and Rosetta let out a loud breath of relief.

Bobble looked down from his position on the roof as he finished hammering the last shingle into place, spotting Tink and Vidia emerging from the nearby trees, arms full of scraps and debris. Both girls let out simultaneous sighs and dropped the ruins into a large pile near the river. Everyone began to gather below and Bobble slid off of the roof to join them.

"Good work, everyone!" Tink was saying. Her arms were folded as she scanned the clearing. "Everything looks almost back to normal. Let's call it a night and we'll resume first thing in the morning." The others nodded wearily, looking grateful to be free.

"_This_ was supposed to be a lesson?" Vidia scoffed, fluttering into the air a few inches above their heads. "What was the purpose, to tell you to pick a less dangerous talent? _Gardening_?" She ignored the acorn cap that came flying from Rosetta's direction.

Bobble rubbed his arm sheepishly. Honestly, he didn't understand the purpose of the so-called "lesson" either. It had felt a lot more like a punishment and not training. But it that been the Queen who had ordered it, so it wasn't like there was much option. Of course, the others hadn't been required to help. Not that they'd ever let him take the fall alone.

_"So what's the verdict?" Iridessa was the first one to greet him when he and Tink returned._

_"Clean up the mess," had been his simple response. He didn't go into details, considering they weren't even supposed to know he was a Protector._

_"Well, that doesn't sound too bad." That was Silvermist. As optimistic as ever._

_"Queen Ree also offered to help him train with his powers," Tink added. And that had caused everyone to look at him in a new kind of awe and amazement._

_"Well, look who's become the queen's favorite," Vidia teased. _

_This had sent a flush up the back of his neck and he tried to cough it off nervously. He started to mumble something he knew would be incoherent but Rosetta smacked the fast-flying talent. "Oh, shush!" she scolded. "That's great news," she added to Bobble who gave her the smallest of smiles. "I'm sure Queen Ree will be able to help you. Much more than we ever could."_

_"And the coolest thing about it," Tink blurted. "She was a Protector too!"_

_The looks of the others were priceless._

"Well, what about cleaning up after your own messes?" Fawn suggested. "I get that one all the time." Not surprising. She was always causing some kind of disturbance or other mayhem.

"Whatever the reason," Iridessa spoke up. "It's almost done now. And hey," she added, punching Bobble's arm in a friendly manner. "When you start training, let us know, huh? We'll come and cheer you on. Right everyone?" They enthusiastically agreed and Bobble felt the blush start to rise again.

Vidia interrupted this by yawning and stretching her arms exaggeratedly. "Well, I don't know about the rest of you, but I'm bushed. I think I'm gonna go home now. Night." With that, she turned and took off in a burst of golden dust.

"She's right," Silvermist spoke up. "It's late. We all could use a good night's sleep. I have to wake up early to give the pebbles a bath in the morning. Bye!" Waving, she flew off.

"Yeah, I'm out too."

"See you all tomorrow!"

One by the one, the other talents left, until only Bobble, Clank, and Tink remained, studying the work they'd done and nit-picking it to perfection. Then, they went their separate ways. Tink went home and Bobble told Clank he'd seem him later and that he was going to stick around for a bit.

Shortly after they left, he found himself walking tiredly alongside the creek. He shuffled his feet, not really making an effort to walk, kicking at a small pebble mindlessly. He ran through the events of the day. Tink had figured him out so quickly. But he'd hidden it for years, and no one had suspected a thing. If Dewey hadn't given her the book, he might have been able to keep up the charade even longer. But had he really wanted to? If what Queen Clarion said was true (and why would she lie?), then Shade must have still been alive, and perhaps even found a way back to Pixie Hollow. That was why Bobble had powers now. That was why he'd been chosen at his arrival. He could still hear the Queen's words in his ears.

_"Phineas. It's okay. You can look up."_

_He did as he was told. He squinted, barely able to make out anything more than the golden glow from the queen. However, he was aware of the sudden stillness that had befallen the crowd. He felt the lump in his throat and he tried to swallow it back, ashamed to hear his voice shaking as he felt a gentle hand on his shoulder. "W-what's h-happening? What's m-my talent?"_

_"Something I have not see in a long time. Come on, stand up. You're okay. I want to show you something." She waved a hand out and he tried to follow where she was pointing. All around him, he recognized the floating talents. He'd heard whispers about how one was supposed to float and glow. The sign of a fairy's chosen talent. But something had gone wrong. Not one talent had chosen him. They _all _had. _

_"Now, listen closely to me." He felt her grab his shoulders and twist him to face her. "You're special. You have a very unique role here. You're a Protector. Phineas...'"He looked away from her and down to his own shaking hands. 'You can't tell anyone about this. At least, not yet. It's too dangerous. Here." She handed him something. He took it, feeling the firmness of the wooden handle of the hammer in his grasp. "This will be your cover. As far as the rest of Pixie Hollow is concerned, you are a Tinker. Never reveal your other talents. And don't worry," she added, giving him a reassuring smile. "I'll get all of this sorted out."_

_By "all of this" he guessed she meant all of the spectators that could provide incriminating evidence against him later. He tried to argue, but his voice seemed to have quit working and he gave in with just a nod. "Now, go on," she pointed toward the Autumn Woods. 'Tinker's Nook is that way. I have no doubt Fairy Mary is on her way. She'll get you sorted out. Oh, and Phineas?" He looked at her once more. "Good luck."_

He took a shaky breath and looked up at the star-filled heaven. It seemed so peaceful. It was hard to imagine a place of such stillness being in any kind of danger. But it had to be. That was why he was there. The only thing that remained was finding it. That was his job.

The wind suddenly shifted. He paused, mid-step, noticing almost immediately, the fast-flying talent side of him coming to the surface. He turned on his heels, frowning in confusion. There was a scream from a group of crows as they took the sky, shrieking in a panicked, crazed, kind of way._ What is going on? _

Cautiously, he took off, flying toward the birds, knowing instinctively that they were no threat to him. They flew toward him and he found himself surrounded in seconds. Their wings beat heavily against him on every side. He tried to flinch back, but they circled him. A wing blindsided him, and, when he attempted to right himself, a beak smashed into his back. He turned around, but the once passive birds had suddenly grown cruel and vicious, and he just barely missed a peck aimed for his head.

He yelled and threw out his arms to protect him. There was a flash of yellow light. The birds squawked and jerked back. The glow faded and Bobble felt his strength zapped away. _Well, that's new,_ he thought groggily. He blinked, struggling to stay aloft. Darkness was creeping into his vision. He shook his head and saw the birds rush past him and disappear into the distance.

"There _you are."_

The hiss seemed to come from the wind itself. For a moment, he wasn't even sure it _was_ a voice. He darted for a tree, taking shelter before he was entirely drained and didn't have the strength to fly. Inhaling and exhaling deeply, he scanned the clearing quickly, searching for the source of the whisper.

_"Hello, Phineas. It's a pleasure to meet you."_

_Now _he was really freaked out. _Who _was this voice? And _how _did he know his name? "W-who's t-there?" He couldn't keep the stammer out. He didn't even try. He waited, but the response was slow in coming.

_"We have a lot in common, you and I. Let me show you. Look at your hands."_

He did. They were glowing with a faint trace of an unusual light. It reminded him a bit of-

_"Light-talent," the voice went on. "One of the most underestimated of all talents, but potentially the most powerful. It can be used to cloak oneself from enemies and can even control the plant life on the entire planet." _

"Whoa."

_"Go ahead," the voice coaxed. "Try it. Use the moonlight."_

Bobble hesitated. "I don't know if I should. I nearly hurt someone with water. I'll just do the same with this."

_"Nonsense. Besides, how can you ever learn your full potential if you never take risks? Now, take a deep breath. Concentrate. Feel the magic flowing through you. Use it. Create a ball."_

He inhaled and closed his eyes, focusing on the moon, imagining he was snatching the beams up in his hands. A warm tingling ran through his body and he slowly opened one eye and then the other, gasping as he found a ball of light swirling between his hands. It lasted only a moment and it faded almost instantly. But still, it had _been there_.

_The voice chuckled. "Impressive for a first try. Yes, I think you have potential. You're one of the strong ones. Tell me, sparrowman, how bright was your arrival ceremony?"_

Bobble paused, unable to recall exactly. It was bright, he remembered that, but not really anymore so than any other he'd seen. Tink's had to have been at least_ twice _as bright.

"That _bright?" It was as if the voice had just reached into his brain and pulled the answer out. "My, my, you are a special one. Clarion was right to keep you hidden away. It could have been...disastrous...if anyone else had found you. That much power, gone to waste. A true shame."_

He was beginning to feel a little uncomfortable. "Who are ya?" he questioned.

_"The best chance you have to escape this war unscathed," came the response. "I'm like you. I know things. I could teach you to harness your powers. You could master all the talents. You could protect Pixie Hollow. And isn't that really what you want to do? Prove yourself? I can help you with that."_

"Why would ya help me? And ya still haven't told me who ya are."

_"I, too, love Pixie Hollow. It is as much my home as it is yours. I only wish to protect it. After all, that's what a Protector's for, is it not? As for my name, I think you've already guessed. But just in case, allow me to introduce myself properly."_

There was a moment of silence.

_And then, "Hello, Protector. My name is Shade."_


	12. Chapter 11

_But sometimes to do some good, you've got to be the bad guy~ "Survive the Night" by MandoPony_

Bobble arrived for work exactly two-and-a-half hours late.

Tink glanced at the sun hanging overhead. She frowned for the fourth time that morning. She then scanned the clearing, watching as a flock of robins glided past. But something was wrong. Vidia said she'd felt it in the wind, Silvermist in the water, Iridessa said the light had been dimmer than usual. They'd all agreed it was probably just the changing of the seasons on the mainland. It affected them every year at about this time. But Tink didn't think that was it. It felt more..._sinister._..than anything.

"Morning," she said cheerfully as she slid in next to him with an armload of pots and pans. She was dressed from head to toe for winter, as if she'd just returned from visiting her sister.

"Oh, hey, Tink," he responded tiredly. "Have ya seen Clank?" He searched the clearing for his best friend.

"Fairy Mary sent him out on deliveries this morning," Tink answered as she started to move on. "You and I are working together today." She kept the other part to herself. The part where she suspected Queen Clarion had set the entire thing up.

"Really?" Bobble rested his head on a hand and stared at the pile disinterestedly. "By himself?" He'd apparently only caught the first half of the conversation. Tink came back to the table and set her things down, taking a seat across from him.

"Well, you were supposed to go with him," she explained. "But since you didn't show up on time, she sent him on ahead."

Bobble, surprisingly, gave little protest and only nodded. He looked away from her, seeming only moments away from falling asleep. "Hey," Tink said, reaching across the table and putting a firm hand on his shoulder. "You okay?"

He jumped anxiously. "Aye, I'm fine," he lied weakly. "Just a little...tired." He looked down at the table, refusing to meet her gaze.

Tink frowned. "You seem exhausted," she noted. "Did you sleep at all last night?" She collected up a pan but did no work, her gaze focused on him instead.

Bobble shook his head. "No," he mumbled. "I tried. But everytime I did, I was awoken by a strange nightmare. I didn't get any sleep and finally decided to go for a walk. Fawn found me by Havendish Stream this morning and practically drug me here." He chuckled at the memory. "But I don't feel that great. Probably from all of that work yesterday."

Tink frowned. He was a tinker. He did more work than fixing up a roof on a _normal _day! But, she kept her mouth shut and listened as he went on.

"_Oh_!" He sat up straight as if he'd just been struck with a bolt of lightning and smiled. "I have something to show ya!" With that, he leaped to his feet and grabbed Tink's hand, pulling her around the table and off toward the unused edge of Tinker's Nook. "After everyone left last night, I stuck around, and look what I can do!" He let go and spun to face her.

She watched, confused, as he interlocked his hands and then slowly began to separate them. The look of determination on his face was evident, even as the first spark of light formed in his palms. As his hands grew further apart, the light grew brighter, until he was clumsily holding a swirling, glowing ball.

_Light-talent. He has light-talent._

_He didn't have that before..._

"When did you..." she began.

"Last night. And, Tink?" Bobble went on, his voice suddenly dropping to a whisper. "It...it was him. He...he showed me..."

"'_He_'? 'He' _who_?" Tink was honestly confused. She hated feeling that way.

"Shade. He was there. I heard him, and...he was the one who...showed me...how to do this." Bobble looked extremely ashamed of his gullibleness and he hung his head, letting the orb of light fade. His wings drooped and he went to sit down on a rock. "And I...I let him."

"Wait. Back up. You _saw_ Shade? As in, he's _here_? _In Pixie Hollow?"_ Tink stared, unable to belief what she was hearing. _Shade_. As in, the most powerful, not to mention most _dangerous_, sparrowman, was _alive_? And what was more, he was _there_? "Did you tell anyone? Why isn't Queen Clarion calling a meeting? Shade's alive!" She moved to fly, but Bobble lunged to grab her arm in a flurry of panic. She twisted back toward him, seeing the panicked glint in his eyes.

"I'm...I'm sorry," Bobble whimpered, letting go and burying his head in his arms. "This is all my fault! He...he helped me and I thought I could face him alone. Not get everyone involved, ya know? Thought it'd be easier that way. But..."

"But he was stronger than you thought," Tink finished knowingly. He nodded and, if it was even possible, sunk further down on the rock. For the first time, she noticed several bruises and scrapes on his face and arms. Most wouldn't think twice about it, with him being a Tinker, and a tad bit clumsy, but she was_ sure_ they hadn't been there the night before. "How bad is it?" she questioned, reaching for his shoulder.

Immediately, most likely from instinct, Bobble cringed back from her, fear alight in his eyes. He looked instantly guilty and opened his mouth to start throwing out apologies, but Tink cut him off before he could even start. "What happened?" she whispered, retracting her hand, and fluttering to the ground to take a seat next to him.

"Crows," he mumbled, not meeting her gaze as he rubbed an arm and stared firmly at the ground.

"Crows?" Tink echoed. "What do you mean?"

"Animal-talent. And he can do more than just talk to them, Tink. He can...get them to do things. It's like he's controlling their minds. They nearly killed me. The thing is...I'm not sure he really knows who I am. I think he just...felt me...ya know?"

"No, can't say that I do," Tink said, shaking her head, but Bobble went on as though not hearing her at all.

"It's like...what ya and Periwinkle felt when ya first found each other," he tried to explain. "Only without the warm bubbly feelin'. It was...cold. Definitely cold. Angry. I felt...angry...a-and scared. I was f-feeling him, his emotions, l-like they were my own. Like he _was_ me."

"But that's _impossible_," Tink interjected before he could get any ideas. "Shade has been dead for _years_! How could he possibly be around, let alone _alive_?"

Bobble chuckled weakly. "By this point, lass, I don't doubt anything. But," His smile faded almost immediately. "I'm...scared. What if he did something to me when I used the light-talent? I haven't felt quite right since, and it's certainly not getting any better."

"No," Tink shook her head again. "I don't think that's right. I'm sure using a new talent just took a lot out of you. You'll be all right."

He nodded, only looking half-convinced. "Fast-flying, storm, water, and now light," he mumbled. "Three talents of life. One of death."

Tink frowned. "Now, don't go there again!" she snapped. "The Queen already explained it to you. Your talents were scrambled. You're the Protector of Life."

"How can ya be sure?" he fired back. "I haven't exactly had the best track record so far..."

"What else could you be?" Tink shrugged. "Look," she went on when he gave her a fearful expression. "There is _no way_ you could be the Protector of Death. I..._we_...know you. We trust you. You're our friend. And I'll tell you right here and now, you're not capable of destroying _anything _or hurting _anybody, _okay? You're the Protector of Life. End of story."

He still seemed disbelieving, but did not argue.

"Now, come on, cheer up," she commanded, standing up. "You and I are going to the Winter Woods to collect Dewey's newest order of books. We'll get to see Periwinkle. And Gliss," she added mischievously. To her surprise, however, he seemed less than interested. _I thought he had a little crush on her._ She gave no emotion on the outside, but inwardly, she wondered how deeply this revelation of duty and power had affected him.

He nodded and stood slowly. "All right," he mumbled, keeping his gaze on the ground. "Let's go." Without waiting for her response, he took to the air and darted off.

Yelling at him to knock off the fast-flying talent, Tink raced after him. She caught up near Autumn and found him staring absent-mindedly at a cluster of squirrels as they chattered and hurried about, collecting acorns. "Hey," she said gently, hovering behind him. "It's going to be okay. You know that, right?"

He didn't answer and a rustling in a nearby bush caught their attentions. Moments later, Fawn emerged, brushing leaves out of hair. "Oh! Hey, guys! What are you doing here?"

"We're going to the Winter Woods to collect some books from Dewey," Tink anwered.

Fawn nodded. "All right! Say hi from me, would you?" With a wave, she started off toward the squirrels.

They flew again, in an uncomfortable silence. Bobble slowed so Tink could keep up, but he said nothing to her and kept his head down. They approached the border and Tink immediately felt the temperature drop several degrees. As they touched down into the freshly powdered snow, a familiar white head appeared from the trees. "Peri!" Tink called, waving to get her sister's attention.

The frost-talent caught sight of her and waved back, signaling to Spike, who was behind her, to hurry up. The girls embraced, and Bobble stepped uncomfortably away, folding his arms and kicking half-heartedly at the snow.

Peri and Tink separated and, as Peri stepped back, Spike crossed her arms and scowled. "What's up with _him_?" she questioned, gesturing to Bobble.

Tink sighed and tugged at her bangs. "It's a long story."

"Okay." Peri at least had the common sense not to dig and just shrugged. "So, what brings you here?"

Tink explained their reason for the mission once more and the girls enthusiastically volunteered to come with them. Tink agreed and Bobble shrugged in submission. He and Spike took the lead and Peri and Tink flew behind to talk.

"Sooooo?" Peri quizzed. She leaned in so the others couldn't hear her. "What's gotten his wings all twisted? What did you do, touch his prized hammer? Did you guys have an arguement? Is he mad at you?"

"Again, long story. No. Kind of. I think so."

"Well, how do you plan to fix it?"

Tink shrugged. "To be honest, sis, I think this might be one thing that I can't fix." Peri gave her a saddened look and then looked down at her feet.  
"I'll try," Tink promised with a sigh. "But _I'm_ not the one keeping secrets."

"Ouch. Okay. Anyone else feel the tension? No? Just me?" Peri chuckled nervously. "But, come on, how bad can it be, really? What happened?"

"You remember the prophecy Dewey told us about?"

"Yeah?"

"Well, it told about a war between fairies. Between life and death. Two fairies, Protectors, each with multiple talents, to clash and determine the fate of Pixie Hollow."

"And what does that have to do with Bobble?"

"He's one of them."

Peri's hands flew to her mouth to cover her gasp and stared at her with wide eyes. "No...you're serious?" Tink nodded. "What can he...you know...do?"

_Create complete havo_c, Tink thought, but she answered differently. "Well, I've seen him use a fast-flyer's speed, a storm-talent's lightning, water like Silvermist, and as of this morning, balls of light." She didn't mention that two had almost killed them all.

Peri nodded, lowering her hands to speak better. "Wow. That's impressive."

"And dangerous," Tink agreed. "Peri, if you're ever around him and his powers start acting...strange..._run_. He has very little control over them, when they spark _or_ how to wield them."

"So, as Lizzie might say, he's a walking time bomb?"

"Exactly." Tink was about to say more, but a call from Spike from up ahead interrupted her. She squinted through the lightly falling snow to see the dark-haired girl waving from the entrance to the library. Bobble had already propped open the door and gone inside without waiting for the rest of them.

With a sigh and sharing a look with the girls, Tink hurried inside. The library was as still and as icy as ever. She rushed to keep up with Bobble, only to slip and, thanks to his quick reflexes, end up in his arms. She gasped as she stared up at him in surprise. He seemed just as shocked and flushed a tiny shade of red as he helped her up and abruptly looked away with an exaggerated cough.

"Whoo!" Peri exclaimed with a stretch as she and Spike entered, clearly having missed the entire interaction. "I love it here! Dewey! Hello! Are you home?"

"Imma comin'! Imma comin'!" Dewey's voice echoed from the back of the hall. He appeared, hobbling on his cane, a smile appearing on his face as he saw them all standing there. "Well, howdy, everybody! Tinker Bell, Bobble, welcome back! I trust you had a safe trip here?" He eyed Bobble as he said that, and Tink felt the red-head tense beside her. But before either could say anything, he'd already turned and begun sorting through several layers of ice-bound covers. "I suppose you're here for these," he continued, handing the stack to Bobble who staggered a little under the weight. "And, Tinker Bell, how goes the other thing we discussed?"

Tink twisted briefly to Bobble and then back to Dewey again. "Oh, that, yes, it's under control."

Dewey smirked. "Well, why don't you help your friend out there, and then come with me? There's something I want to show you both."

Tink obeyed, taking some of the books from a grateful Bobble and then signaled for him to follow Dewey. Bobble sighed and nodded. Together, the three of them walked away from Peri and Spike.

Dewey led the way, the glow of his wings the guiding light as they passed between two shelves which showered them in darkness, and paused when he reached a large open floor. Tink recognized it as the same place where she first met Peri.

"Imma guess you both know the truth by now," Dewey spoke up as he continued to the center of the room and turned to face them.

"I'm the Protector," Bobble said in a whisper.

Dewey nodded, leaning further against his cane. "That you are. And since Shade is the fairy you'll be going up against, and he probably already knows _everythin_g about you, I figured the odds should be evened out. Er...stand back." He shooed them back and then proceeded to tap his cane against the ice floor.

Immediately, a swirl of pixie dust appeared from the air and cameto form an image before them. A full identical laughs from two different babies. Two fairies. One male, one female.

The female woke first, her long brown hair wrapped around her shoulders, and her brown eyes flashing in confusion. She attempted to pick her talent, but was overwhelmed by the abundance of light surrounding her. The sparrowman was slower. His hair was pitch black and his hazel eyes burned dangerously as the talents did the same for him.

The girl, Scarab, frowned.

The male, Shade, broke into a wicked grin.

Animal and Fast-flying. The best of friends. Soon to become bitter enemies.

The scene changed to reveal Pixie Hollow on fire. Shade raced overhead, setting trees aflame, to the dispare of the water-talents who couldn't keep up.

Hovering nearby was Scarab. As soon as Shade passed, she pounced, knocking them both from the air.

"How could you do this?" she screamed at him as she struggled to restrain him. "Shade! This is your _home!"_

"It's _your_ home," Shade spat. "And it's _pathetic! _But it could be _so much more!_ Imagine it, Scarab. Reshaping the world, making something out of this sandpit. Conquering all of Neverland! Becoming its queen! Wouldn't you like that?"

Fury burned in Scarab's eyes. "And what about everyone here?" she screamed. "You've _killed_ them, Shade! Our friends trusted you and you murdered them! I will _never _help you!"

"You are either _with me_," Shade hissed. "Or _against me_. And I will destroy all those who resist me!"

A bright light filled the scene, and the pixie dust faded to the earth. Dewey hobbled forward. "Scarab defeated Shade," he explained. "But not before he put a curse on her, and all Protectors who came after her. He would have the ability to enter the minds of his enemies and virtually control them. They would become his puppets, his instruments of destruction."

The two tinkers stared. Tink felt Bobble step closer and grab her hand fearfully. She could feel him shaking and she understood why. If Shade could really do that...there was hardly a chance Bobble would be strong enough to resist. _He really_ could_ turn at any moment._

"So," Tink spoke, trying to sound brave for both of them. "How do we stop him?"

Dewey shrugged. "No clue. This is the first time I've ever seen a Protector. I'm as clueless as the rest of you."

"Great," Tink groaned.

"But," Dewey went on. "I'd suggest you figure it out quickly." He went over to a shelf and gingerly picked something up.

"Why?" Bobble questioned.

Dewey slowly came over and held out the object. It was a flower. Tink recognized it from Rosetta's garden, but it looked...dead. Withered and black. Not at all like her normal flowers. And she'd _never_ willingly let a plant get in such a condition.

"Because, as of two days ago, Pixie Hollow is dying. Shade's revenge has already begun."


	13. Chapter 12

"Queen Clarion! Queen Clarion! My queen! You have to come immediately! It's an emergency!"

The Minister of Autumn's bellowing and hyperventilating voice earned the Queen's attention. She jerked her gaze from her current past-time of staring out the window absently as the wind sent a hurricane of leaves across the branches of the tree. "Yes? What is it?" She could guess, but she had to pretend. _Where are you, Shade?_

"The Pixie dust Tree!" the minister went on with the same cracking tone."Something's wrong with it!" He adjusted his oak leaf. He was trembling. Clarion knew this wasn't a prank of Vidia's, or something faulty with Zarina's pixie dust. Something was very, truly wrong.

"All right," she sighed. "Show me."

He nodded and took to the air. Clarion hurried after him. They wove their way through the bending branches and toward the Dust Depot. She glanced at the sky momentarily, noting how dark the clouds had gotten and how the wind had already begun to pick up. Mentally, she wondered how much more time they had. He _had_ to be behind all of this. There was no one else powerful...or dangerous...enough. This change was only the beginning. The disease was affecting all of Pixie Hollow. The seasons were dying. Shade was keeping his word, down to the smallest detail.

_And Phineas is nowhere near ready._

She thought of how out of control the water at the stream had been and how powerful and dangerous the storms had been. Unmatched and uncontrollable. She understood how much energy it could take out of a fairy. _So many talents, so little time to learn to __wield__ them._

"Over here, my Queen." The Minister of Autumn gestured her over and she fluttered to join him. They stood before the spout from where the Pixie dust poured. A faint trickle was all that remained. It reminded the queen of another time, but there was no time for reminiscing the past. Besides, those days were long gone and he was gone. Shade had made sure of that.

"How long has it been like this?" she questioned, meaning the fading dust. She folded her hands and tried to appear as calm as she could.

"Fairy Gary arrived earlier this morning," the minister replied. "It was before dawn when he found it. Claims it was already like this when he arrived."

_This is his doing. There's no one else wicked enough to hold our only means of transportation hostage. _Almost without thinking, Clarion turned to face the seasons sprawling out towards the mountains. "Minister," she questioned. "Have you received any reports from Winter recently?"

"I have not." The sparrowman looked surprised. "Why? Is there something wrong?"

_Yes! _Clarion took a deep breath. "Please contact Lord Malori as soon as you can. And Minister?" she added as he turned and took to the air. He paused and glanced back. "Find Tinker Bell and her friends. I have something I want them to do for me." _Please hurry_, she added silently._ We're too late. He's already here._

* * *

"Can someone please explain what we are all doing here?" Rosetta questioned as they gathered in a hollow deep within the Spring Forest. They all shrugged and Vidia zipped through the cherry blossoms overhead, sending a shower of pink over the group. Fawn protested loudly, waving the flowers away and picking petals from her braid and Silvermist giggled.

Directly across from them, Iridessa and Clank emerged from the trees. There was a flash of white, and Peri appeared, walking calmly behind them with a small backpack-like device over her shoulders, apparently keeping her wings cool.

Tink and Bobble arrived moments later. Tink went to join the others and Bobble hung back, electing to lean against a tree and cross his arms instead.

"Hey," Silvermist greeted. "Sooo, anybody know why we're here?"

"No idea," Vidia responded, picking this minute to slow to a halt and hover between Clank and Iridessa, causing the latter to jump a bit in surprise. "But I think it might have something to do with Mr. Powers and his escapades with the environment." She jabbed a thumb in Bobble's direction. "Thanks _so much_ for that, by the way."

He said nothing and stared firmly at a blossom that had landed at his feet.

"Do you think we're in trouble?" Clank questioned. "Did we...do something wrong?" He glanced nervously at the others. They shrugged in response.

Vidia snorted. "Only if you nearly drowned every fairy in Pixie Hollow because of the talents _that you conveniently forgot to tell your best friends about!_ Now _who_ would...oh, that's _right_. _You did_." She darted up to point an accusing finger in Bobble's face.

He hung his head. He didn't defend himself. How could he? Vidia was right. He _had _hidden his powers from them. He hadn't trusted them enough and they had every right to be angry with him. But that didn't stop the wince from flashing across his features, and it certainly didn't stop Tink from noticing it.

"Okay, Vid. That's enough," the blond tried to cut in. "You've made your point."

"Oh, I'm not finished," Vidia retorted. "_You_," she snapped at Bobble. He cringed back fearfully and his eyes grew wide. The fast-flying talent was in a position of high authority and her glare told everyone present that she was mere moments away from ripping the sparrowman apart. "Are the _sorriest _excuse for a Protector I have _ever heard of_. You've no control over your talents and your poker face, though it hid you for several years, is useless to say the least. You say you're supposed to save Pixie Hollow from Shade?"

He nodded timidly.

Vidia went on. "Well, then, we're doomed." With that statement, she flopped onto a rock with a huff.

An uncomfortable silence filled the clearing. It was broken by the almost inaudible Scottish accent, so soft that Tink briefly wondered if she'd imagined it. "I'm sorry." Bobble deflated and he started to back away from them, letting his wings droop in shame. "Really...I..." he stumbled over his words and wrung his hands pitifully. "Never meant to...can't control...my fault." After that jumble of words, he seemed to lose his nerve and he turned and began to fly away into the trees.

"And there he goes," Silvermist whispered.

"_N__ice job_ Vidia!" Iridessa snapped, folding her arms and glaring at the fast-flyer.

"_Me_? What did I do?" Vidia said indignantly. "He's the one who started it!"

"Don't you think that was a little harsh?" Rosetta added.

"Yeah, maybe he didn't tell us because he was afraid of being rejected," Silvermist suggested. "Or being yelled at."

"Which you just did both of," Fawn cut in.

"Okay, girls?" Clank cut in. "Can we argue later? I think we might another problem at the moment."

"What's that?" Tink asked.

He pointed skyward. Dark clouds swirled in out of nowhere and thunder crashed against the heavens. A downpour began and everyone shrieked and ran for cover.

Tink peeled her drenched bangs out of her face to find Vidia and Fawn taking shelter under the leaf next to her and the others sitting in a tree.

Vidia ground her teeth as she wrung her hair. "Oh, we have to find him before Shade does. I do hope that evil sparrowman doesn't murder him. 'Cause when we find him, _I'm _gonna _kill_ him."

***  
He stumbled through the outskirts of Spring, blinded half by the tears, half by the rain, and fully from the guilty pain in his heart. The weight of Vidia's words were heavy on his soul. She was right. Pixie Hollow was dying and it was all his fault. He didn't know how to fix it. He couldn't change anything, heaven knows he tried. He'd even tried to heal the flower Dewey had shown them. He was the Protector of _Life_. It was _literally in the job description. _But he couldn't. Somehow, for some reason, he just couldn't.

He also hadn't told anyone else about his fears, how he'd been feeling less and less like himself as of late, how the anger and fits of insanity had forced him to push everyone away while he questioned his mental state at every turn and every nail he hammered. He had days when he could barely drag himself out of bed, and there were times that his work had seemed useless and insignificant, that no one really cared about his guild. He had _felt _the anger and the resentment in his heart. He was going under and he knew it.

_Just a little bit longer, _he told himself whenever he felt those feelings take ahold. _Just hold on for a little longer. It'll __all__ be over __soon__. Pixie Hollow will be safe and then you __can__ tinker a way to get rid of talents._

But a small part of him had hoped his friends would forgive him before it all went down. He didn't pretend to have psychic powers, he didn't know what was going to happen, when Shade was going to attack, or how many would make it out. He knew what the evil Protector was capable of. He knew Pixie Hollow was in serious danger, along with every fairy that resided there. It was his duty to somehow protect them all.

_You really think you have what it takes to save them?_

_You're untrained, undervalued, out of control, _weak_._

_You're no Protector of Life. Just look at the way you treated the fairies you call friends!_

The voice inside of his head grew louder and louder until it was threatening to come bursting out. He reached the beach and, with a cry, he clutched his brain and threw himself against the ground. He bawled. He lay there, barely bothering to hold himself above the sand. Fast hot tears poured down his cheeks and he unfastened his goggles, throwing them furiously at the ground. He proceeded to punch at the sand as though it would comfort him at all.

Wingbeats.

Someone was nearby. Hovering just behind him. He didn't look up, but squeezed his eyes shut, trying to stop the persistent tears. "I don't wanna talk!" he spat out. "Leave me alone!" He tried to stumble up and stagger away. His legs turned to jelly and he fell forwards with a yelp.

"You mistake me for a friend, Protector."

The voice was like ice. It wasn't one of his friends. Even Clank couldn't pull off such a tremendously nasally voice. That could only leave one explanation.

Bobble moved in an instant, lunging for his goggles. The sparrowman behind him was faster, however, and, as the tinker reached for his lenses, something exploded millimeters to his left, causing him to instantly retract his hand and move to protect his face from the flying sand.

There was movement, and before Bobble could react, he felt the fairy's hands close around his throat and lift him into the air. He choked, weakly trying to pry the iron grip away. He desperately tried to inhale and only panicked more when he found he couldn't. His lungs burned and his brain screamed for air. "P...please...please..." he pleaded, though he knew it was all useless. Shade had come to kill him. He wouldn't spare him for a few measly gasps.

Finally, he managed to get a hold on Shade's fingers. Fighting back the numbness and darkness threatening to swallow him whole, he weakly began to pry the hands away. _It's not enough..._ he realized. He could barely move his arm. He didn't have the strength. _So this __is__ it,_ he thought blearily. He was going to die on the beach, abandoned and hated by everyone he'd ever cared about. He wished now he could have apologized, that he'd told them the truth when he'd had the chance. _I'm sorry..._

Just as the last of his breath was leaving him, the grip lessened and then disappeared entirely. He was barely aware of his body hitting the sand and the distant rings of shouts. At first, he didn't understand. Where had Shade gone? Why wasn't he dead? What was going on?

A gentle hand found it's way onto his shoulder and he heard a quiet voice whisper in his ear. _Tink_, he realized with a jolt. His friends! They'd come for him! A flood of warmth filled him. They didn't hate him after all! However, that joy was short-lived as he realized how much danger they were in just being there.

"Tink..." he tried to speak, though his throat hurt terribly. "What...doing?"

She didn't answer, and, seconds later, he felt the familiar sensation of his goggles being returned to his face. She strapped it back on and he dutifully searched for his pouch of water to replace the lenses. Once he'd done so, he blinked once, twice, three times, as Tink came around to crouch beside his disheveled form.

"Are you all right?" she questioned. Her eyes were filled with concern as she held out her hand to help him up.

"Aye. Fine." He took it and almost yelped as she yanked him to his feet. His knees were weak and he felt his legs sway under him.

"Whoa!" Tink reacted immediately, putting an arm around him to steady him. "Easy. Take it easy. You're safe. Vidia and Fawn are holding him off."

"Shade," Bobble groaned.

Tink nodded. "I know. Come on, let's get you out of here." She put his arm around her shoulders and led him slowly away from the water.

Behind them, he could hear the voices of his friends as they ducked, wove, and maneuvered around the wicked fairy, refusing to let him move an inch.

There was a flurry of wingbeats and he jumped slightly as Fawn appeared at his other side and did the same as Tink. It felt a bit like an awkward five-legged race, only no one was running, and every part of him felt like it was on fire.

The water lurched behind them

Bobble dug his heels into the dirt. "Wait!" he protested, pulling himself free from the girls and lowering his arms. He turned back to face the fight. "I can't leave them!"

"What are you going to do?" Fawn questioned.

Bobble eyed the water. It bubbled again. He knew what he had to do. Recalling how Queen Clarion had controlled the element before, he took a deep breath and flung his arm out to the right. Immediately, the water lunged from its banks and plowed into the sparrowman's back.

The fairies darted back, avoiding the majority of the blast, but Shade wasn't so fortunate. He whipped around furiously as Bobble's friends gathered around him. His eyes fixed themselves on the smallest tinker and a smile curled onto his lips. "Ah, so you _do _have powers. I was beginning to fear you were a _dud_! This makes things more...interesting."

"All of ya need to get back," Bobble addressed his friends, never breaking his glare with the evil protector. They didn't argue and he proceeded to summon the water into the air. "I'll give ya one chance to get out of Pixie Hollow," he went on. "Or I _will_ make you."

Shade laughed. "Oh, really? And I'm supposed to be afraid of a little welp like you?" He snapped his fingers and his hands exploded into flames.

Bobble flinched and struggled to remain firm. "Water puts out fire," he stated dumbly.

Shade chuckled. "We'll see about that." With one swift movement, he tossed the fire forward. Acting on adrenaline, Bobble launched the water. The two attacks collided and a thick steam burst across the plain. Seconds later, the fire broke through and Bobble screamed, forced to dive out of the way. He felt the heat whistle by and he cried out as the ends of his wings were singed. The pain that followed was indescribable.

He hit the ground, gasping and blinking back fresh tears. Out of the corner of his eyes, he could make out the faintest glimmer of light. Shade was about to hit him again. Thinking fast, he heaved himself backward across the grass.

The explosion hit the ground where he'd been lying only moments before. Shade _really_ wasn't messing around. He wanted the fight over. Bobble knew he'd have to finish it first.

He summoned the water once more, feeling his hands shaking as he did and he blinked away the weariness. He didn't have much strength left. Maybe enough for one final attack. Water was his best option. Light was too unpredictable, as was storm, and, as another ache in his wings reached him, he realized fast-flying was out of the equation.

Shade's bone-chilling laughter filled the hollow. "_Now_ I understand! I get it now! You _have _talents, but you _can't use them! _It's not that you're too proud, you seriously _have no control." _His eyes drifted to Bobble's shaking hands and grinned. "You poor, poor fairy! Did no one teach you the limits to being a Protector? Did your queen just tell you the truth and throw you to the wolves unprepared? How long, sparrowman? How long ago did she tell you?"

Bobble didn't respond. His grip on the water was fading. He had to take the shot. With a yell, he tossed it forward.

Shade reacted. With a swipe of his hand, the water evaporated. Bobble staggered, energy depleted. "Now..." Shade hissed. "Now, it's my turn." He summoned the fire once more. Before anyone had time to do anything, he'd thrown them.

Bobble threw his arms across his face and braced himself to be cooked alive. Instead, there was a flash of white light and everything faded. Slowly, he opened his eyes and lowered his arms. He gasped at what he found. He was alive. By the frantic whisperes behind him, he knew his friends were fine as well.

Hovering in the clearing was Shade. But he wasn't looking at him. His eyes were fixed on someone else. Turning, Bobble stared, finding Queen Clarion standing protectively in front of him.

"That's quite enough, Shade," the queen snapped."Let Spurn go. You've got what you wanted. You don't need him anymore."

The sparrowman laughed. "_Clarion. _How _horrible _to see you again. However, you are right. Now that I've met your newest savior, I have no further need for this body. But rest assured, this war is far from over." He gave a violent jerk and a dark shape rose from his body. The fairy hit the earth with a gasp.

Bobble screamed as the shadow charged toward him. He braced himself for the impact. A freezing sensation flooded his veins...and then the figure was gone.

"Spurn!" The Queen was at the sparrowman's side in an instant, helping him stand unsteadily. Before he could react, she'd already embraced him in a tight squeeze.

"Okay...okay...Clarion...can't _breathe,"_ he protested with a small laugh. When she let go, his eyes, now filled with gratitude and warmth, feel on Bobble. "So this is him?" He walked over and extended his hand. "Thank you, for everything."

Bobble took his hand hesitantly, glancing toward the queen uncertainly. "Phineas, this is Spurn. He was a Protector back when I first arrived. Spurn, this is Phineas."

"Hello," Bobble said timidly. He felt his friends gathering around him. "Pleasure to meet ya. Sorry, but I havta ask. Was that-"

"Shade?" Spurn glanced over his shoulder. "Yes, it was. Reduced to nothing more than a shadow. He can only latch on to another's body. That is the only way he can do any harm. Clarion should know. After all, she had to save me." He gazed fondly at her.

"Um...are you..." Tink asked, gesturing between them.

They looked at each other and laughed. "No," Clarion explained with a small smile. "Allow me to introduce him properly. Everyone, this is Spurn -my brother."


	14. Chapter 13

_But maybe one day you'll find humanity. Until then don't you dare say that we are the same._ ~ "No More" by NateWantsToBattle

"Hold still. I'm just about done," Tink instructed as she tightened the last of the ropes and connected the two adjoining ends. Bobble winced at the sudden increase in pressure, but sat still obediently, staring down silently at his arm and the sling it had been reduced to. "There," the blond went on, slipping off of the table behind him and put a hand on the opposite shoulder. She then came around to stand before him. She flashed him a smile which he shyly returned. "I'm finished. You're all set. Not too bad, if I do say so myself."

Bobble flexed his fingers, already feeling confined with the use of only one brachium, though it went along nicely with the bandages and bruises, he had to confess. "Thank ya, Tink," he said softly. She'd created the makeshift cast since he'd refused to go to the medical-talents after the escapade on the beach. Admittedly, it wasn't as good as the healing-talents could have done, but he was sure it was just fine, and, knowing Tink, she'd probably found a way to load a fireworks launcher or something of the sort into the leaves.

"No problem," she responded. "Though you should probably start coming up with an excuse for Fairy Mary. You _know _she's going to be asking about those injuries when we get back."

He nodded. "Aye. I've been thinking about that, Miss Bell, and I was wondering...what if I _didn't _goback?" Seeing her confused look, he went on hastily. "I love being a tinker, really, I do. But Shade's still out there and ya saw what he did to Spurn. What if he does the same to me? They'll be no one to protect ya. If I left, maybe I could get far enough away that his mind-control couldn't reach me."

Tink shook her head, the logical one as always. "No, I don't think that would work. Shade's smart enough that, if he wants you, he'll find some way to get you one way or another. You're safer here where we can protect you."

Bobble frowned, but he nodded, seeing the wisdom in her words. He was about to say something more when Clank suddenly appeared with a cheery greeting.

"Hiya, Tink! Hiya, Bobble!"

The poor sparrowman jumped at least a foot into the air. His shock was only increased as Clank threw an arm around his shoulders. Shoots of pain exploded through his limb. "Splinters, Clanky!" he hissed, ducking back and out of his friend's hold. "Watch where ya hug, would ya?"

Clank quickly apologized and Bobble couldn't even find it in his heart to scowl at him. Instead, he settled for sitting down on a mushroom table and, to the best of his ability, cross his arms, while his friend began to speak. "Hey, you guys hear about Spurn?"

"What about him?" Tink questioned, sharing a confused look with Bobble. "I thought he was with the medical-fairies until they can prove Shade isn't still inside him. Apparently a few of the older fairies knew him before his...disappearance."

Clank nodded. "Yeah, he was just released. Queen Clarion asked to see Bobble as soon as possible."

"Whatever for?" Bobble questioned, wondering if it had something to do with his actions against Shade, or, perhaps more accurately, his _lack_ of actions. He shivered, recalling it vividly. In the blur of the movement, three of his four talents had failed him. Storm and light were unpredictable, tending to cause more harm than good, and his wings had been out of commission. He remembered the icy grip of panic when he realized he was grounded. Since then, the burnt tips had begun to heal. He could fly, though not steadily and not for long distances.

Clank shrugged. "Don't know. Just said it was urgent."

Tink nodded. "Okay, in that case, Bobble, you go see the Queen. Clank, you and I will go talk to Spurn. Hey," she added, seeing his worried expression. "I'm sure it's nothing serious."

"She said it was urgent," Bobble reminded her as he stood up from the mushroom. "I doubt it has to do with mushroom caps." He glanced at his friends as they shared an uncertain gaze. _Surely _he wasn't in trouble for something, was he? He frantically searched his brain for anything he might have done to Fairy Mary to make her angry at him-other than flood her house, of course. He briefly wondered if she somehow knew it had been his doing, but fearfully shoved the thought away. He should have told her the truth instead of leaving her wondering who had sabotaged her home, but the Queen had admonished against it.

"Good luck," Tink said seriously.

He gave her what he hoped was an encouraging smile and then took off.

The flight from Tinker's Nook to the Pixie dust tree was not a long one, however, to Bobble, it seemed to stretch on for a lifetime. Maybe it had something to do with the gut-wrenching sensation that he had unknowingly done something wrong, maybe it was the conscious throb of his semi-healed wings, but he couldn't wait to get there, land, and get everything straightened out.

By the time the tree came into view, pain was shooting through his entire body and he was gasping for breath. He slowed and dropped onto one of the limbs, catching himself against the bark and doubling over to put his hands on his knees. _Get it together, Bobble_, he berated himself. _You're fine. It wasn't that much of a flight_. Instantly, a chill swept down his spine. If that short flight had worn him out...

He refused to finish that thought. _It just takes time_, he tried to encourage himself. After all, after Tink's wings had broken, she'd been a little unsteady for a while. It was no different for him. They would only temporarily be weak. He'd be all right. He _had_ to be.

As he walked toward the Queen's house, he spotted Terence collecting a satchel of dust to take on his rounds. He waved and Terence waved back with a smile. Tink had explained everything to him. Not that she'd had much choice. The dust-talent could be quite persistent when he wished.

He reached the door, and hearing voices, decided to make his presence known. He took a deep breath, mentally prepared himself, and raised a fist to knock.

The whispering died away to murmurs and he took that to mean he was cleared to enter. "Queen Clarion?" he questioned, poking his head inside. "Ya asked to see me?"

"Phineas! Yes, please come in!" The queen sounded tired, but he didn't think much of it. He was sure he'd be just as tired if _he_ had to rule all of Pixie Hollow. "And this is going to be a private conversation, so please close the door behind you."

He did as he was told. Until he gently latched the door, however, he didn't realize that someone other than the queen was also standing in the room.

The cough was short, to the point, and there was only one fairy in Pixie Hollow with a cough like that. Heart dropping, he slowly turned to face his fate in the form of the angry, green-clad, head-of-his-guild pixie.

"Hello, Fairy Mary."

He was aware of the tremble in his words, but he did nothing to prevent it. Meanwhile, Mary crossed her arms and frowned. "Queen Clarion has just been telling me the most _incredible _story," she began, speaking painfully slowly. "And it _appears_ you haven't been completely honest with me, Bobble."

"Oh." He glanced frantically at Queen Clarion who nodded encouragingly. "Well...what do ya wanna know?"

"For starters, how did you manage to flood my house? I _know_ it was you. What I can't understand is _why_."

"It...was an accident." Bobble instantly realized that, if she hadn't really known and had been faking him out, she did now. There was no taking back the truth. Queen Clarion gestured for him to explain. "I'm not...what ya think I am. What..._anyone _thinks I am. Truth is," he closed his eyes and let his sore wings droop. "I'm not really a tinker." He waited for the silence to be broken by Fairy Mary's shocked exclamations, to be bombarded with a thousand questions as to how he could invent so well without being a tinker. The latter, he could at least explain.

"Go on," the fairy said in a faint voice.

"Not that I don't have tinker-talent," he went on. "I _do_. But I also have water, light, fast-flying, and storm."

"So...what you're saying is...you could have picked..._any of the talents_ as your cover?" She seemed to be taking the news exceptionally well.

"Aye." Bobble nodded, not sure where the conversation was headed. "But Queen Clarion thought it best if I selected a guild that didn't...flaunt...my talents. And I loved being a tinker!" he added hastily, noticing her crestfallen expression. "It was the best place for me at the time. I am so happy to be one of ya. And I'm sorry that I didn't tell ya the truth sooner."

"Oh, Bobble," Fairy Mary sighed, coming over and wrapping him in a tight hug. "You're just like a son to me. I don't ever want you to think that you can't tell me something. You're one of my best tinkers," she added as she pulled away. "You got that?"

"Aye, Fairy Mary," Bobble repeated, cracking a small smile. "Thank ya."

"Anytime," she told him, returning the smile. "Now go on," she added, patting him on the shoulder. "I think you have a bit of learning to do." She glanced briefly back at Queen Clarion who smiled, and then back to Bobble. "And don't forget, mister. You may be a Protector, but you're still one of my workers, and I expect you back in the workshop in time to help with the spring preparations." With a nod in Clarion's direction, she turned and flew out of the room, leaving the two Protectors alone.

He swallowed hard, glad the conversation had gone well, and turned to address the Queen. She, in turn, stepped forward. "In light of recent events, I'd like to begin your training," she explained. "But first, some of your friends are waiting at the Welcoming Ring. Come with me." Holding out her hand, she led him away from the hollow of the tree, up to the circle. He recognized the girls and Terence before he even landed.

"What's all this?" he questioned, gazing around at them all. "What are all ya doin' here?"

"We're welcoming you," Silvermist answered first, forming an orb of water and setting it on one of the stands.

"Like we should've on your arrival day," Rosetta added.

One by one, each fairy added their talent to the ring and Queen Clarion led him into the ring. "Born of happiness and cheer, love has brought you here," she spoke kindly. "Welcome to Pixie Hollow."

Bobble could barely keep the smile off his face as he played along."What are those?" he questioned, pointing to the various objects. As he spoke, Tink and Clank flew up to join the others.

"These are the talents," Clarion went on. "Step forward and find yours." She gestured for him to begin and stepped back as he went toward the nearest object, Rosetta's tulip. It wriggled as his hands encompassed it and bloomed. Rosetta gave him a smile as he moved on to the next object, a beam of light from Iridessa. He ran a hand through it, feeling his body warm as the glow encompassed him. One by one, he went around the ring, trying out each talent. Last but not least, he came to his hammer. Here, he paused and gently ran a hand across it lovingly. Protector or no, he was a tinker at heart.

"Fairies, come forward and welcome the newest member of the Protectors... Phineas."

His friends surrounded him, hugging and slapping him on the back. He beamed, soaking in their cheers. He had been to his share of arrivals. _This _was how it was supposed to be. Surrounded by fairies who loved and accepted him for him, fairies who weren't afraid of his difference.

"Here," Iridessa managed to get close enough to catch his hand and pull him away from the others. "Come with me."

Without a word, he followed her away from the Pixie dust tree, away from the heart of Pixie Hollow, toward Summer Meadow. The sun beat down relentlessly as they went. After a few minutes, Bobble felt his wings aching and he pulled away from Iridessa's grasp so he could land and catch his breath against a tree.

"Hey," Iridessa flew down next to him. "You all right?"

He looked up at her breathlessly. "Aye. Aye, I'll be okay."

Iridessa nodded and glanced up. "Well, I suppose this'll do. Let me see your hands."

He looked at her in confusion, but did as he was told. Iridessa took them in one hand and drew over a ray of light in the other. "Tink told me you could already form shapes," she went on. "But I thought it might be more prudent to start at the beginning and give you a feel for what it really means to have light-talent."

"You're teaching me?" Bobble interrupted.

Iridessa nodded, smiling slightly. "Of course. It's custom for a guild to show the newest member around Pixie Hollow and teach them, is it not?"

He nodded.

"We're going to take turns," she went on. "Since you'll have all of our talents. I'm up first. Tink suggested making it into some kind of training camp. Each day, one of us will teach you about our talents. Of course, we can't stay in Pixie Hollow. If anyone were to see us, there would be a lot of explaining to do. Queen Clarion suggested we go towards Mermaid Lagoon, out to the woods there, and set up camp. She thinks, if you aren't in Pixie Hollow, Shade may not be able to track you."

He nodded, not knowing what else to say.

"You sure you're okay?"

"Fine," he answered.

"Well, while we're waiting for the others, why don't I show you how to move the light?" Without waiting for a response, she bent over to grab a ray of light and pulled it toward him. "Okay, so what I want you to do is, imagine the light is solid and you can hold it."

Bobble took a deep breath and nodded determinedly. Iridessa slowly moved the light to shine over his hands. "Here. Try this. See if you can move it."

She let go and it disappeared the moment it reached his palms. He stared at it disappointedly, but Iridessa was having none of the pout. "It's okay," she said. "No one ever gets it on their first try." She brought over another beam. "Now, just _concentrate_. Think about the light materializing in your hands." She let go of the light with one hand and used the free manus to guide Bobble's hands to the light. He cupped them, glancing at her uncertainly as she lowered her hand but kept holding his up. The light seeped through his fingers. Slowly, Iridessa let go and stepped back. The light stayed put. Bobble grinned and looked back at her as if to say_ I'm doing it!_

"Bobble!"

The shout startled him. He jumped and his concentration was broken. The light shattered into splinters and disappeared. He sighed, ran a hand through his already untidy hair, and scowled up at the approaching tide of Pixie dust he knew was his friends.

"It was a good start," Dessa mumbled in his ear before the others reached him. "We'll practice more later."

"You ready to go?" Tink questioned, the first to land among the grass. She was carrying two backpacks. She took one off and handed it to him. Glancing around at the others, he noticed they were lugging similar items, color coordinated for each talent. It seemed like a grand expedition party. He couldn't help but feel slightly excited at the prospect of seeing lands outside of Pixie Hollow, even if it was only to keep Shade from tracking him.

"Here," Silvermist offered, darting down as he struggled with his backpack, unable to swing it over his bad arm. "Let me help." She took the dangling strap and carefully worked it around his cast and up to his shoulders.

He balked slightly under the pressure. "_Bolts_!" he hissed. "What do ya have in here? _Bricks_?"

Tink and Silvermist chuckled and darted lightly back into the air. "Exercise one!" Vidia announced from somewhere in the distance. "Stamina! Last one to Mermaid's Lagoon is a rotten snail!"


	15. Chapter 14

_Fly high, or will I fall? Legends made when faith is strong._~ "Legendary" by Skillet

* * *

"FAAAAAAAWWWWNNNN!"

The morning had started off _brilliantly_. It was just before sunrise and it was cold. It was Neverland. It wasn't supposed to be cold. Only the Winter Woods was cold. So, it was less than a pleasant surprise for Tink when she woke up shivering. Blearily, she reached for her blankets and pulled them over her shoulders before settling to go back to sleep. It was far too early for anyone to be up and moving, and after the time they'd had getting there (Vidia had ultimately won the race, Rosetta had arrived last, huffing and indignant, about twenty minutes after), she wasn't planning on getting an early start.

"FAWN! HELP ME!"

She yawned and stretched, rolling over to face what was left of the fire. She smiled slightly, still able to feel a few of the warmer cinders. Now this, _this_ was a camping trip. Nothing, but blue skies, green forests, and absolute peace and quiet as far as the ear could hear.

"FAWN! FOR ALL OF NEVERLAND, WOULD YA PLEASE _DO SOMETHIN'?_"

_Ugh. Never mind. _Tink groaned and sat up slowly, hearing the others do the same around her. The closest was Vidia, who promptly shot up like a rocket and irritably blew half of her hair out of her face. She scowled and narrowed her eyes at nothing in particular, obviously not a morning fairy.

"Fawn! Would you _please_ get up and go help the sparrowman before he wakes up the_ entire_ _island_?" she groaned as she started to stand. "Oh, for the love of-_wake up_!" she added, kicking Rosetta in the side, ignoring the garden-talent's protestant groans. "There's no way you're sleeping through all that!"

"Hey!" Rosetta protested, raising her sleeping mask to glare at her friend. "_Excuse me_, but I am _trying_ to get my beauty sleep here!"

Vidia hissed something inaudible. Across the way, Fawn was already on her feet and moving swiftly away from the campsite, tying her hair into her typical braid as she went. Tink jumped up and hurried to run after her, wisely deciding to snatch a spare satchel of Pixie dust as she ran by.

"Well, that's _one _way to wake a fairy up in the morning," she heard Iridessa groan as she passed.

Bobble's screams were getting more sporadic, almost as if he was running out of breath. Fawn darted through the weeds, half-running, half-flying, faster than Tink had ever seen her move. She yanked something off of a nearby bush as she went and Tink wished she could have had the chance to see what it was.

"Bobble!" Fawn yelled as she suddenly turned sharply to the left. Tink followed, finding the red-head standing, petrified, in the middle of a small patch of gravel. His wings were shaking and his eyes were wide as he stared at something towering before him.

"Fawn...that's..." Tink began, only to feel a rush of wind pass her. But she didn't really need to finish. It was obvious what had found them. _A snake._ "Not good," she decided. She ducked down behind a larger rock to observe. There was nothing she could do. Fawn was the animal-talent. This was far out of Tink's capabilities.

"Fawn!" Bobble hissed as the brunette appeared at his side. "What do I do?"

"Stay. Perfectly. _Still_," Fawn answered out the corner of her mouth. The snake, realizing it had unwanted company, rose into the air, hissing, fangs bared. Fawn slowly took Bobble's good arm and began dragging him behind her. The snake's golden eyes tracked their every movement. "When I tell you," the animal talent went on. "_Run_."

She took out the needle-like plant she'd collected on the way and twirled it with the expertise of a scout talent, ending her show by pointing it warningly at the serpent.

The snake reared back with a warning hiss, preparing to strike.

"FLY!" Fawn bellowed, shoving him back and leaping to the air to avoid the bite. Bobble staggered slightly and then took off like a shot. Fawn expertly dodged the snake's fangs and circled around from behind for an attack of her own. "Back!" she hollered, twirling the make-shift spear with extreme precision. "_Get back_!"

Tink moved quickly, grabbing Bobble and pulling him behind the rock beside her. "You all right?" she questioned. He nodded, but said nothing. She could feel him shaking beside her. "Stay down," she advised, straightening up to peer around the rock as the snake's hisses became louder.

Fawn, meanwhile, had taken a step back into a better stance and was hovering near the back of the serpent's head, it's blind spot. She was eyeing it suspiciously, as though trying to figure out how best to reason with it. "Hey," she whispered, changing up her tactics to something a bit more...charming, one might say. "Hey, fella. Take it easy. It's all right. We're sorry. We didn't mean to disturb you and-"

Whatever she might have been about to say was cut off abruptly as the snake, realizing where she was, reared around and snapped it's jaws. Fawn darted backward, just barely missing the snap. "Hey!" she protested, flying up out of the snake's reach. "Now, that wasn't very nice!"

The snake spat again, not looking at all apologetic. Again, Fawn moved to dodge, taking cover higher, and crossed her arms to glare down at the reptile.

"Do ya...do ya think we should help?" Bobble questioned, even as he instinctively sunk further behind the rock. It was clear from his expression that he wanted to do literally the _opposite_, but wasn't willing to leave Fawn behind.

Tink bit her lip in concentration. "Maybe," she answered, her eyes scanning the clearing and her brain already beginning to whirl with several ways to create a fully functional snake-trap or repellant. "All right," she decided. "So here's what we're going to do...you see that branch over there? We're going to need that."

Meanwhile, Fawn was busy darting underneath the snake's grasp and looping around. She was holding it off, but she was obviously tiring as the serpent's blows got closer and closer.

"...and those vines over there," Tink added. "Can you get those too?" She turned, but her friend was already missing. "_What_?" she groaned, popping up and peering around the boulder in disbelief. The fading trail of Pixie dust was all the evidence she needed. "Oh, you have _got _to be kidding me!_ Bobble_!" He ignored her. Tink exhaled. "Fawn! FAWN!" she yelled, waving her arms frantically.

The animal-talent spun at the call.

Unfortunately, so did the snake. It's eyes narrowed, spotting Tink who instantly retracted her arms. "Uh-oh."

"Oh no," Fawn groaned. "Tink! Get out of there!" She started to move toward her friend, but the serpent, seeing what she was about to do, struck first with its tail, catching Fawn in the side and throwing her across the clearing into the grass.

Then, it turned its eyes on his next target...Tink. It moved with a rapid speed, cornering her in a matter of seconds. It reared back, hissing, eyes glowing in triumph. Tink froze fearfully as the reptile bared its fangs and prepared to strike.

"TINK!" Fawn screamed as she picked herself up, unable to get any closer.

This was it. Tink squeezed her eyes shut, preparing for the worst.

The snake lunged forward with a victorious snarl.

"STOP!"

A shout rang out and the snake froze, mid-lunge, mouth still open wide. Tink could feel the heat of its breath just inches from her face, and she very tentatively lowered her arms when she realized that it would go no further. Instead, she twisted around in shock to see what had caused it to halt.

Bobble was standing alone in the clearing, one arm outstretched as though his plan had to been to grab the serpent. His eyes were wide and he was breathing extremely heavily. One look at his face told Tink that he was as startled that the snake had responded to him as she was. There was a strangled gasp from Fawn as the animal-talent stared, her eyes darting from Bobble to the snake and back again. She glanced toward Tink with a look of 'What in the _world_ is going on?'

Tink could guess, but she merely shrugged, not sure if she fully believed it yet.

_And animal-talent makes six._

_"Now,"_ Bobble went on, swallowing back a nervous stutter. "That's enough bein' mean. We meant ya no harm. Go home now. Don't come back."

The snake hissed again, backing off from Tink with glaring yellow eyes. It swung to face Bobble, growling menacingly. Yet, the tinker didn't back down. He didn't even flinch. It was as if he'd suddenly become an entirely different fairy all together.

Fawn's jaw dropped as the snake dropped back to the ground and began slithering toward Bobble who took a small step backward.

"No, no, stay away!" the tinker commanded, tensing slightly as the serpent reached him. "Get out of here! Go on! _Get_!"

"Bobble! Be careful!" Fawn called and he gave a tiny nod, never taking his eyes off of the snake.

"I told ya to _go home_. So _s__cram_!" he yelled.

The serpent stared, and then, with one final growl, turned and slithered away into the bushes.

The girls cheered and Bobble dropped his arms gratefully, watching until the snake was entirely out of site before turning to face the others with a confused and slightly dazed grin. It wasn't more than a moment later that they both plowed into him and pulled him in for a hug.

"That was _incredible!" _Fawn exclaimed as they broke apart and fell in step. She twirled her plant once more before sheathing it securely in her belt, and slung an arm around Bobble's shoulders. "I had no _idea_ you had animal-talent too!"

"Aye," Bobble chuckled weakly. "Neither did I." He swayed slightly, and Fawn braced herself immediately.

"Hey, you all right?" she questioned, putting a hand against his chest to sturdy him. "You don't look so good."

Tink frowned, realizing for the first time how truly pale he seemed. "I think we should get back to camp," she decided. "I'm sure the others will be wondering what happened to us."

Bobble nodded. "Lead on, lassies."

Thunder rumbled overhead as they arrived at the campsite. The others were up and about, but they all turned toward the three as they entered and helped Bobble to the log near the fire. All eight looked up at the thick cumulonimbus clouds gathering in the heavens as the first raindrops began to splatter into the grass.

"Oh, _come on_!" Vidia groaned, throwing her hands into the air. _"Again? Really?_" She held out a hand toward the droplets and put the other on her hip. "And _just what __is__ it _with you and rain?"

"He has an odd temperament," Clank muttered, appearing beside her. There was another crash of thunder and the torrents crashed down upon his head.

Vidia, who was entirely dry, folded her arms with a smirk. "Oh, I hadn't noticed."

Tink ignored their conversation as she went over to join Iridessa and Silvermist who were busy making miniature rainbows in the dark of the clearing. "Hey, girls."

"Hi, Tink," they said in unison. The current rainbow faded to mist as Iridessa pulled the light away.

"What's on your mind?" Dessa asked, knowing the classic Tinkerbell I'm-up-to-something-incredibly-insane-and-I-want-your-help look.

"Sheep?" Silvermist offered.

Tink looked at her strangely. "Why would...You know what? Never mind. Look, we all came out here to help Bobble learn to control his talents, right?"

"Right," Iridess agreed.

"Mmm hmmm," Silvermist nodded.

"You have an idea, don't you?" Rosetta guessed, fluttering up to invade their conversation.

"Yes! Well, maybe. The beginnings of one anyway."

"Oh, can't _wait _to hear _this one," _Vidia scoffed.

Tink rolled her eyes and waved her off. "What if we _all _worked on training him at once?"

"_All _of us?" Rosetta sounded confused. "How do you intend for us to do that?"

"Ah!" Tink grinned. "I'm so glad you asked, Ro!"

"But are _we?_"

"There is a game that humans play. Lizzie taught it to me last year on the mainland. And the idea is, one fairy is 'it's and everyone else has to hide within a certain area, and when 'it' calls out "frogs", everyone else has to say "toads". Then 'it' has to try and catch them. Last one caught wins."

"So, basically, we're playing fairy tag, only with _yellin_g?" Vidia questioned.

"Um...yes. Oh, and 'it' has to be blindfolded."

"And let me guess, Bobble's gonna be 'it', right?"

Tink nodded. "But instead of tagging a fairy, he'll have to use his talents. Any of them."

"This sounds dangerous," Iridessa whispered. "Are you sure we should be doing this?"

"It's worth a shot, isn't it?" Vidia questioned. "Besides," she added with a grin. "If anything goes wrong, we get to watch the fireworks blow up in Tink's face."

"Okkkaaayyy," Tink sighed. "Any questions?"

Silvermist put her hand up.

"Yes, Sil?" Tink called on her.

"Where did we get fireworks?"

Everyone facepalmed.

* * *

"Right!" Tink hissed from her position behind a large gopher's burrow. "Is everybody ready?"

"Ready!" Sil and Clank signed from across the clearing as they crouched behind a bush. Fawn nodded as she tucked herself further into a bird nest and waited.

"Ready, Bobble?" Tink shouted into the field.

"Aye, Miss Bell!" came the response from the now blindfolded tinker. (Vidia had suggested just taking his goggles and making him hunt for those instead, but a firm glare from Tink and Fawn together had talked her out of it).

"_Begin!"_

The fairies took off like a shot, determined not to be one left in an open location when Bobble figured out how to track them. One handed or no, he had extraordinary hearing (to make up for the terrible eyesight), and could hear a pin dropping halfway across Pixie Hollow. (Tink and Clank had actually verified this once), and would have absolutely no trouble _whatsoever _pinpointing their loud wingbeats.

"Uh...what was I supposed to do, again?" he called uncertainly.

"Say "frog"," Iridessa hissed from a nearby tree branch.

"Frog?" he frowned. "Why?"

"Just. _Say__ it_," Vidia growled from above him.

"Okay...frog?"

"Toad!" everyone called back from various locations across the meadow.

"Isn't this a little unfair?" Rosetta commented, fluttering up beside Tink. "There's only _one _of him, but there are _seven_of us!"

Tink didn't answer right away, spotting Bobble tensing up as the garden fairy spoke. She knew what was coming next, but she still barely had time to yell out a warning and push Rosetta out of the way as the beam of light whizzed through the air and struck her dead on. She fell backwards onto a soft flower with a laugh.

"I'm out!" she called, straightening up and dusting the light from her dress. "Nice shot!"

"That's one down, and six more to go," Vidia muttered to herself as the remaining fairies began to spread apart warily.

"Frog?"

"Toad!"

_Swoosh_! Another beam of light plowed into Silvermist, taking her out.

_Crash!_ Vidia ducked as the talent went soaring over her head and smashed against a tree trunk... the same one Fawn was currently taking shelter in. A flock of baby birds took off into the air, but only Fawn's head stuck out. She looked startled and a bit dazed that he'd found her so quickly, and she hastily ducked back inside to avoid a second blast. Less than a minute later, however, she emerged again, screaming and shooting away from the tree. Seconds later, a swarm of cockroaches flooded the hole and swarmed down the trunk.

The light eliminated her from the game seconds later.

"Okay," Vidia hissed, having gathered the remaining three fairies around her. "What we need is a battle plan. And we need it_ fast_. So, anyone have any ideas?"

"Fly around like mad and hope we don't get hit?" Iridessa suggested sarcastically.

"That's is literally the _worst plan_ I have ever heard."

"Well, I don't see you coming up with any-LOOK OUT!" Rosetta shouted, throwing herself backward to avoid a twister of water.

"Scatter!" Vidia yelled. She took off like a shot, racing toward the tree line. There was a bunch of muffled shouting and bright light behind her, but she didn't stop. Not even when Tink called the others out. She was a_ fast-flyer._ She _refused_ to go down to a bit of light.

Meanwhile, Tink was watching from the sidelines with a frown. Bobble was cautiously turning, listening for the last fairy's wingbeats. Tink tried to do the same. The air was still. Even though she knew where Vidia was, she couldn't hear her. _He took the others down _so quickly. She'd never seen anyone so quick. It was a little bit startling, to say the least.

There was a rustle as Vidia accidently hit a leaf.

Bobble whipped around and blindly fired a shot toward the trees. It shot over Vidia's head, missing her by meters. She attempted to dart forward, but was forced to backtrack to avoid a second blast._ He's definitely mastered the light-talent_, Tink mused as Vidia continued to duck, weave, and throw herself out of the way of the attacks.

"You've got to do better than that, tinker!" Vidia challenged boldly.

Bobble wound up another throw and pitched it like a baseball. It missed the fast-flyer by millimeters.

The light began to glow brighter as he grabbed another beam from the sun and readied to throw it. It was almost brighter than a diamond, and the glow was only increasing. And then, out of nowhere, it exploded into flames. _White_ flames. Bobble yelped in panic, releasing the light which soared through the air and struck Vidia, throwing her backward to the earth at the same time that the sonic waves knocked Bobble down.

"Vidia!"

"Bobble!"

Tink was the first to move, darting into the air and, after seeing Clank and Fawn hurrying to help her fellow tinker, hurrying to check on Vidia. Even as she flew, the ominous sound of creaking and groaning trees was evident. She had barely reached the forest when the ground suddenly morphed into white and ice exploded across the clearing. _Ice...that was ice talent!_

"Vidia!" she screamed, shuddering as the trees overhead immediately dropped with the sudden additional weight.

"Here..."

Tink hurried toward her friend's weakened voice, finding her lying against a patch of grass, one hand behind her to steady herself, the other against her chest as though she'd been checking to be sure she was still breathing.

"Vidia! Are you all right?" Tink gasped, hurrying to her side and helping her stand up.

"Yeah...I'm...fine." Vidia winced. "What...was that?"

"Ice," Tink answered.

"_Ice?_"

The two of them began to fly back toward the clearing.

"Yeah."

"But that's a-"

"Yes"

"But that means-"

"No."

"Tinker Bell! You _have_ to see that-"

"No, Vidia! He's not! Queen Clarion explained that the talents got mixed up. Bobble has both Life and Death talents. So does Shade."

"But what if that is just what she wants you to believe?"

_"What _are you talking about?" They reached the clearing and Tink spun to face her with a frown.

"I just _saying_," Vidia sighed as she passed. "We've all seen the way he's been acting recently. Even _before_ any of this began. Don't you think you should _at least_ _consider _the possibility?"

"No," Tink answered shortly. "We _all _have bad days. Bobble is_ not_ evil, Vidia. And I _can't believe _you would even think something like that!"

"But don't you think you could just-" Vidia began.

But Tink was already flying away.

And just like that, the conversation, along with any chance of persuasion, was over.


	16. Chapter 15

_It's my destiny, to know your pain, of watching all I believed fade away. ~_"Darkest Part" by RED

* * *

"_Hello, Clarion_."

She whipped around at her name. Before she had completed the turn, the remnants of her talents were already in her hands, ready to be thrown in one final act of desperation. It was as if she had predicted his arrival and had prepared.

It made no difference to him, however, and he simply waved it into non-existence as though it were nothing more than a puff of smoke or a passing cloud. The queen pixie glared firmly, but he could sense her fear. Fear for herself, for the pathetic fairies she ruled...and for the Protector.

_He's not ready._ He'd felt it before with the uncontrollable surges of power, but the sparrowman was still weak. Powerful, but untrained. Caring, but underestimated. Strong, but powerless. He still had hope. He still had a flicker of belief that he might be the hero, the Protector of Life.

How he was looking forward to stamping out that spark.

"Shade."

There was no emotion in the way the queen spoke his name. Just a name. Nothing more. Insignificant. Unimportant. _Useless. _But he would show her, he would show _everyone. _He was a force to be reckoned with, and if they weren't with him, they were against him.

And the former Protector was _certainly _not on his side.

"Where is the sparrowman, Clarion?" he sighed, sounding bored. "I know you're protecting him."

"I don't know what you're talking about," Clarion responded in the calmest, and most collected voice she could muster, but he could still sense the hesitancy behind the words.

"Don't _lie _to me!" Shade bellowed. He felt the power surge up inside of him and he swung an arm around. The room was illuminated in orange light...and then he released the talent and sent it careening toward the far corner of the room. A large desk and a few other random assortments burst into flames.

Clarion flinched, but said nothing.

"You may care for the boy. He may be like a son you never had," Shade went on in a dangerous whisper as the room continued to burn. "But you can't protect him from his fate. The prophecy. _Surely_ you know he cannot be trusted with Neverland's protection."

"And _you_ can?" Clarion blurted. "Shade, prophecy or no, Phineas is a _million_ times better for Pixie Hollow that you would _ever _be!"

"_No one_ is better than me," Shade spat, eyes flaring furiously. "Besides," he added with a cruel smile. "You hardly have the strength to stop me. He's draining your powers, is he not? That's how it works, after all. The longer he stays away from Pixie Hollow, the weaker you both become. It's only a matter of time. He'll come crawling back to save the _ounce_ of magic that he possessed. _That_ is his destiny. As is the fate of any tinker unfortunate to become a Protector."

"So, nothing like _you_ at all then?" Clarion snapped angrily.

"_I_ defended my home for as long as I could!" Shade retorted. "_They_ betrayed _me_! It was _their _doing, not _mine_!"

"You had a _choice_!" Clarion argued. "A choice to be different than them! But you made your decision. You chose to do what you did! What happened was entirely_ your _doing!"

Shade drew himself up to his full five-inch height. "And what happens next is _yours_." He'd already located the tinker. The power surges were becoming fainter, but a new talent had been activated. He knew _exactly_ where to look.

Then, with a new direction, he quickly flew from the room, but not before setting the curtains on fire for good measure.

He was going to enjoy this.

* * *

"I don't know what happened! He just collapsed!"

"Tink! The ice is spreading! Iridessa! Try to slow it down!_ Tink_! TINK! _Hurry_!"

He heard the voices all around him. They sounded distant, disconnected. He reached for them, but they were too far from his grasp. He felt pangs of fear and anger radiating from them, sharp and clear, as though they were directed squarely on him. He wanted to cringe away from them, but something prevented him from doing so. He tried to call out, to let them know that he could hear them, that he was okay, but his words evaporated almost as quickly as he thought them. Next, he attempted to move his arms and legs, or lift his head. It was as though a heavy boulder had descended upon him, pinning him to the earth.

"His pulse is getting weaker! _What do we do_?" _Iridessa,_ his mind formed the name slowly, groggily. Everything was muddled, confused, disoriented. But, there, at the edge of his conscious, he began to collect certain emotions from her head._ Worried, upset, startled._

"Bobble! Don't you dare die! You hear me! I'm ordering you to stay alive!" _Tink_. Panicking, desperate, fearful, angry. He couldn't find it in his heart to remind her that she had_ absolutely no_ authority over him.

"I'm going to go get help!" _Vidia_. Her mind was humming quietly, but he could sense the panic in her tone, and what was left unsaid. There was a flutter of wings as the fast-flying talent took off. So then, he realized with a twinge of relief, she wasn't injured too badly.

Hands tightly clasped his shoulders, yanking him up into a sitting position. Clank, no doubt, but _even he_ felt distant. "Bobble! Come on, buddy! Stay with me!"

_I'm trying, Clanky. I'm trying. _Even so, he could feel himself weakening. His grasp on reality was slipping, the last few threads of consciousness were sliding through his fingers, and he was just faintly aware of the whiz of multiple wings overhead before he passed out...

_The __clearing__ was dark and empty. The strong odor of smoke and ash filled the air. He __stood__ amidst the blackness, the grip of panic holding his wings and squeezing his __heart__._

_"H-hello?" he called nervously. He felt his legs carry him forward, though his mind screamed against it. His hand brushed up against something hard and he grasped it firmly, realizing it was a tree branch. Was he in the air? Where was he? What had happened? Where were the others? _

_A ball of fire plummeted from the sky._

_He shrieked, leaping back as the comet streaked into the earth before him. There was a momentary flash of red light, and he could see the very thing his heart had dreaded the most..._

_Pixie Hollow. _

_On fire._

_Burning. _

_He heard screaming. Terrified, he swung around, scanning the darkened clearing desperately. He could see nothing. No one. No one was there. He was all alone. Alone in a world that was silently burning to ruin around him. _

_"You're the Protector!"_

_A voice shouted from the silence, hitting him harder than a hammer and so fast that he nearly fell in shock. He whipped around, but was met with stillness. There was no one there. _

_"You were supposed to save us!" _

_A faint glow surrounded him. Dull and fading, but definitely Pixie dust_. A fairy. _Someone was _there. _He tried to call out, but his voice was swept away in the breeze. Only...there wasn't any breeze. The air was thick and he nearly choked in the smog. _

_"This wasn't supposed to happen!" _

_Suddenly, the world morphed around him. He found himself standing in what he guessed was Tinkers Nook. But it was entirely deserted. Buildings were smashed, he saw Fairy Mary's house burned to ruins, and in the distance, the looming structure of a blackened Pixie dust tree was just visible against a red sky. _

_There was a flutter of movement behind him. He turned, and his heart filled with relief when he saw Tink standing there. Her arms were folded and she looked furious, but at least she was still alive. "Tink..." he stammered, taking a step toward her gratefully. "You're all right-"_

_She immediately moved away from him, frowning deeply._

_He froze. "Tink? What-"_

_"You lied, Bobble!" _

"What?"

_"You said you were the Protector!" the blond snapped, unfolding her arms as her face began to flash scarlet. "You said you could stop Shade! You lied! He came, Bobble! He destroyed _everything_! "_

_Her words were like knives and he felt each drive further and further into his heart. _

_"Where were you when we needed you?"_

_"Where were you when the Pixie dust tree was destroyed?"_

_"And where were you when he killed our friends?"_

_His voice failed and he stumbled backward, nearly falling in his haste to escape her accusations. He opened his mouth to protest, but nothing came out, and all he could do was stare at her in disbelief. _

No, no, no, this can't be happening!_ he screamed internally to whoever or whatever might be listening. _This isn't real! They aren't dead! No! No! _Please! _Let this be some kind of cruel joke!

_He looked toward Tink for reassurance, but the tinker was gone. He was alone once more, and he couldn't hold it back any longer. He dropped to his knees, tears pouring from his eyes. He hid his face in his hands as the cinders continued to rain down on him. What have I done? _What have I done?

Exactly what you feared, _a little voice in the back of his mind hissed._ You became the very thing you despised.

_"You were never the Protector of Life." _

_"This is all your fault!"_

"You _did this!"_

"You _killed them!"_

_The voices screamed at him, pounding their way into his brain. He tried to shut them out with his arms, but they just kept coming, gushing around him like a hurricane until he was crushed, devoured in the ocean of terror and guilt._

_And then he woke up._

He sat up as though he'd been struck by lightning. The world flashed before his eyes, and he found himself sitting on a cotton-insulated bed in a dark room. Confused, and blinking away the remnants of the dream, he pushed himself up into a more convincing sitting position, trying to scan the room, but finding everything blurry when he realized his goggles were missing.

He frowned, using the bed as a balance as he shakily stood up, and almost immediately collapsed back onto the edge of the furniture with a grunt of pain.

"Oh, good. You're awake."

An unfamiliar voice spoke from behind him and he immediately spun around, letting go of the bed and nearly falling onto his face. He was just able to make out a blur of orange and the gold shimmer of dust. It was enough to know that the speaker was a fairy, and not something much more terrifying.

"Wh-where am I?" he stammered, bracing himself in case Shade was behind this and decided to show himself.

"Fairy's Haven," the voice answered. There was a shuffle of movement and the figure moved toward him, but his gaze did not follow her and he jumped nervously as she appeared at his side. "_Hmmm_," came the whisper near his ear. "Your friends told me your eyesight was terrible. Now I know they weren't exaggerating. Unusual for a tinker, I must confess. Well...here. You'll probably need these then."

She handed something to him, and he immediately recognized them as his goggles.

He fumbled with the straps, struggling to focus on listening to where the fairy was in the room and put his glasses on at the same time. "M-my friends," he whispered almost incoherently. "Are they...are they..." He swallowed hard, unable to comprehend anything beyond the dream.

The fairy paused at the fear in his tone and turned back to face him with a frown. She had long dark hair tied up similar to Fawn's, but darker brown eyes which shone with warmth, and cheeks dusted with freckles. Her dress set her apart as an animal-talent.

"They're just fine," she informed him. "They're waiting for you, actually. And as soon as you're strong enough, you can see them."

Bobble nodded, sinking back against the bed. "Wh-who are ya?"

She beamed. Her smile radiated like the sun. It was as if she'd waited a long time to hear him ask the question. "I'm like you," she responded mysteriously. And when he opened his mouth to question what she meant, she spread her hands, and formed a ball of water over the palm of one hand, and light over the other.

Bobble stared. "You're..._you're a Protector_?"

She nodded, closing her hands into fists and extinguishing the talents. "As are you. And by the condition I found you in, I can conclude that Shade already knows you exist?"

He nodded.

She sighed. "Well, that _certainly _complicates things." She started toward the door, gesturing for him to follow. "I don't understand what Queen Clarion was thinking, not bringing you here after your arrival. I suppose I'll have to teach you everything from the ground up. Honestly, Protectors are_ supposed_ to come here. That is literally the _entire purpose_ of this place."

She gestured around her, and that was when Bobble realized where they were. He stared in awe at the grassy canopy of leaves overhead, and heard the bubbling of a waterfall nearby.

"This was supposed to be the training place of our guild," the fairy said, noticing the amazed look on the tinker's face. "We were never supposed to hide among the other talents. This is Fairy's Haven, the home of Neverland's Protectors, and where you should have been from the very beginning."

Bobble frowned. But if he'd come there from the start, he'd never have met his friends, and he would have been alone and deserted. _Just like Shade._ He gulped and hurried after her. "Sorry," he mumbled. "But who are ya? And can I see my friends, now, please?"

"Soon," she answered, taking him by the hand and leading him away from the clearing toward a patch of saplings. "And I think you've already guessed who I am, so it's needless to go down that path now."

"You're Scarab," Bobble guessed.

"Correct," she said with a smile. "I was told you were smart."

He shrugged. "Well, I _am_ a tinker..."

"That you are. Come on, I want you to see something."

They walked among the saplings until they came to small ring of cherry trees surrounding a small bubbling creek. Bobble noticed the spark of light that passed through Scarab's hands as she reached out to brush one of the newly formed blossoms. Scarab noticed his staring and smiled. "This is the Ring of Purification," she explained. "It's...sort of where our powers are refilled. I bet you noticed how quickly you seemed to wear out when you used your magic in giant bursts." It was less of a question, more of a statement, as if she already knew the answer, but was waiting for him to confirm it.

He agreed with a nod and waited for her to explain further.

"Well, this is where we heal, and the source of our...skills. Here, let me show you." She guided him to place his hand in the water. He did so slowly, and grimaced as the liquid rushed over and around him. But it wasn't just a cold, unpleasant feeling. Sparks of what felt like electricity zapped through his nerves and coursed through his body. With a gasp, he hastily retracted his hand, and, feeling unusually stronger, he stared first at his open palm, then up to Scarab who was standing over him.

"What-what was _that_?"

"Your talents," Scarab answered. "You've fully recovered from your...performance...earlier. Quite flashy, I must admit. Not exactly..._subtle_...I might add."

"Sorry," he mumbled again, consciously aware of how often he'd been saying that recently.

"Don't worry," Scarab said with a small smile. "Every Protector uses their powers before their trained. I did. So did Shade."

Bobble shuddered. _How very _not _reassurin'_.

"You'll get the hang of it," Scarab went on. "After all, that's why you're here." She began to walk away, and he hurried after her.

"I'm sorry to keep askin'," Bobble mumbled, "but my friends..."

"Soon," Scarab repeated. "Very soon. But first, we must get you ready."

"Ready?" Bobble repeated with a frown. "Ready for what?"

Scarab didn't answer right away. Instead, she led him toward the waterfall and pressed something against the wall of stone. The rocks shifted and rotated, revealing a shelf of various objects, ranging from a porcupine quills to full length saucer targets. She picked out two of each and handed him a quill, which he took hesitantly.

"Shade has taken Pixie Hollow," Scarab revealed as she fluttered backward, spinning her quill gracefully behind her back. "Everyone has either fled, or is being forced to do his will. You ask me what we are doing here, and what I am preparing you for." She took a long breath and turned quarely to face him, and in that moment, Bobble could feel all of her fear, determination, hope, and desperation crash over him like a glacier.

"I'm preparing you for battle."


	17. Chapter 16

_**A/N: This chapter is a little shorter.** **I'm sorry. It's been a long couple of weeks with the quarantine, and I've had to adjust to college/ high-school work being online, and a sister of a good friend is in life-threatening condition at the hospital. However, this chapter is very important for what is coming later.**_

** _Also, I have decided to make a sequel for this book, and maybe a prequel if I have time. Does anybody have ideas for a series name? Please and thank you :)_ **

* * *

_"I don't mean to alarm you, but these toys are far too much for you...our fates were always intertwined, and soon you'll find that I will be your king!" ~The Evil King by Natewantstobattle_

* * *

"It's clear that you have a lot of power, and a lot of heart." Scarab spoke calmly and firmly. As she lectured, she began setting up one of the targets at the far end of the field near the vined tunnel where they had first entered. "And Clarion was right about some things. Both are equally important in stopping Shade, but, alone, they are not enough."

"_So_," she added. "We're going to start with the basics." She lifted her porcupine quill and spun it tauntingly. "I assume you know at least the general concept of fencing? Yes?" She jabbed the end toward him, and he jumped back in fright.

"Hang on just a moment!" he protested. "Can ya go back to the part about Pixie Hollow bein' attacked? When did that happen? Is everyone okay?"

"Less talk, more fight," Scarab replied, twirling around and thrusting the quill at him once more.

He darted back onto a boulder near the waterfall. "What happened?" he repeated, lowering his weapon. "The Queen said he wouldn't go after the Hollow because _I _wasn't there!"

Scarab shrugged. "Guess she was wrong." She didn't sound too upset about this. But that didn't make sense. Wasn't Clarion her queen as well? Bobble frowned, but Scarab ignored him. "But you can't be any help to them if Shade kills you the moment you step across his borders. You need to learn to defend yourself." She narrowed her eyes, as though sizing him up. "How long have you been here anyway?" she snapped. "How long since your arrival?"

"Uh...a while, and-HEY!" While he was speaking, she had took off, zipping around him and prodding him roughly in the back with the spear. He jumped away, wincing as his wings momentarily gave out and he landed roughly on a fallen oak. "What was _that _for?"

"Your wings," Scarab said sharply, ignoring his question. "What happened to them?"

"They got burned and...what are ya doing?" He twisted around, finding her coming up behind him to stare at his wings. He stepped away from her, turning to face her and looked up with large eyes.

"You were hit with one of Shade's spells," she whispered, lowering her quill. Then, without warning, she lunged forward and grabbed his shoulders tightly. "How long ago did this happen?" she demanded.

"Uh...not too long ago." Bobble rubbed the back of his neck, trying to think. "A few days, mebbe. Wait...how long was I out?"

"Three days."

"Oh...okay, then, it's been almost a week. Wait...did ya say _three days_?" He gaped, watching as she stepped back and folded her arms. "I was out for THREE DAYS? _No wonder_ Shade took Pixie Hollow! I...I have to get back!" He dropped the spear and darted for the exit. "My friends...I have to make sure they're all right...my friends..."

"They're _fine_!" Scarab snapped, shooting in front of him with a burst of fast-flying talent, blocking his exit and forcing him back. "You need to_ calm down!_ You aren't thinking straight!" She tried to grab his arm, but he twisted away at the last moment. "Phineas! WAIT!" She flew after him, but he ignored her, whizzing through the vined gates toward the outer gardens. "PHINEAS KETTLETREE, I AM _ORDERING _YOU TO STOP!"

But, he didn't stop. He didn't even slow down. Scarab wasn't the boss of him. She couldn't tell him what he could or could not do. _No one_ could tell him what to do. He was a _Protector, _not a _slave_.

_Except for Queen Clarion and Fairy Mary._

A jolt of fear coursed through his body as he realized what he'd been thinking. How _rebellious _he had suddenly become. That wasn't like him. He _never_ disobeyed authority.

And yet, there he was, running away as fast as his faltering wings would carry him.

And_ why_? Because he was being a coward. At that moment, he didn't care about Pixie Hollow, or his friends. He could hardly breathe, let alone think. He needed to get away. He needed to process everything, _not_ get stabbed repeatedly with a weapon that he had absolutely _no idea_ how to use.

Something green slithered to life on his left, and out of the corner of his eye, he saw one of the vines from around the wooden beams shiver to life and snap out toward him. He yelled in alarm and ducked as it went soaring over his head.

"Stop it!" he yelled, covering his head with his arms and continuing to run/hop desperately across the meadow.

"You can't run away from this!" Scarab shouted after him as she brought another vine to life to try and snare his wrists.

"I _said, STOP IT_!" Bobble screamed, jerking away fast as the plants nearly tripped him up. "Get _away_! My friends are in danger! I don't _want_ your help!" The vines snaked closer, and he struggled to keep ahead of them.

"You can't help them if you are _dead!_" Scarab yelled at him again. "Which is what you're _going_ to be if you don't stop acting like a _blind fool, _and let me teach you what you need to know!"

"_No!" _Bobble yelped as a plant finally caught up to him, wrapping itself firmly around his ankle and yanking him backward onto the ground. He clawed at the earth desperately as the vine began to pull him back. "No! NO! I haveta go! I haveta make sure they're...they're...okay...this is...all my fault..." He struggled as the vines, pleased to have ensnared him, crept up his body, tightening around him, pinning his legs together and his arms to his sides. Unable to move, he surrendered, going limp and letting Scarab flutter over to him.

"Get up," she told him, crossing her arms, releasing her talent from the plants, and waiting as he struggled to detangle himself from the lifeless vines. "We've got work to do. And I need to take a closer look at that wing."

Breathing heavily, he obeyed, ripping the vines apart angrily and chucking them off into the grass with a scowl.

"Don't look at me like that!" Scarab protested. "_You're _the one that went out and got yourself cursed!"

Bobble froze. "_What_?"

"Shade's fire is cursed," Scarab snapped. "It kills whatever it touches. Slowly and painfully. And if it's really been as long as you said...well, then I think it's best if I try to stop the spreading, don't you?"

"_What _spreading?" Bobble retorted crossly. "It's just a little burn!"

"Maybe it was once," Scarab growled. "But not anymore. Go look at the water."

"But-"

"_Do it._"

Flinching, he stood up slowly, backing away from her, toward the creek. He paid little attention to the birds watching curiously from the treetops as he carefully knelt down beside the flowing water. He opened and closed his wings a couple of times, frowning. "I don't understand," he confessed.

"Here," Scarab said, coming up behind him. "May I?" He nodded and she gently grabbed his injured wing, pulling it to the side so he could see it's reflection in the creek. He nearly choked when he saw it, partially shriveled and blackening. As she touched him, a bolt of pain exploded through his body and he gasped, lurching forward, just barely catching himself before he went face-first into the water.

"It's worse than I thought," Scarab muttered. "It's already begun to spread."

Bobble turned to face her. "What...what does that mean?" he asked nervously.

"I don't know for sure," the fairy sighed. "I've never seen it to this extent before. But it _might _mean you're in trouble." She turned and began to fly back toward the waterfall, looking thoughtful.

"What kind of trouble?" Bobble questioned, glancing longingly toward the exit. It was _so close_. But if what Scarab was saying was true...then...He took a deep breath and ran after her. "How bad is it? Is it, like, I'm going to feel some mild discomfort, or is it more like...I could _die_?"

"You won't die," Scarab growled. "But if we don't get it fixed soon, you could be crippled for life. Not to mention the other negative side effects."

"O-_other_ side effects?" Bobble spluttered. "T-there are _others_?" His voice hitched fearfully. "M-more than possibly...never flying again?" To a fairy, being grounded was almost as bad as death. It made them almost useless, and especially for fairies like him, who were used to being needed, it was enough to drive one mad.

He half-suspected that had been Shade's intention all along.

"There are many possible results from a misfired flame-spell," Scarab replied, grabbing a bowl and selecting a few leaves off of a nearby tree, mixing them into the bowl and beginning to grind them to pulp. "But, yes, that is the general idea. I assume that's what Shade was hoping for, at least."

Bobble wondered if she'd somehow read his mind. Was mind-reading talent a _thing_? He didn't know. Now that he thought about it, there were a _lot_ of things he didn't know. Starting with why Queen Clarion hadn't told him about this place. If it was really a place for Protectors, why hadn't he come there originally? Scarab was clearly the head of his guild, even if there were only three ever, and she clearly knew more about what was going on than he did.

_But Shade would know about this place_, he realized as he absentmindedly ran a hand across a moist rock. _Queen Clarion wouldn't have wanted anyone to come if she thought it might put them in danger. _That was just how she was. Even if that meant leaving him entirely untrained, it was better than the alternative. He agreed with that.

But, it might have helped if he'd learned a bit more of what he was up against ahead of time.

"Here," Scarab spoke again, moving away from the water and holding out the green pulp. "This is made from water lilies. It'll help with the burn. Rub it all over your wings, and then get some sleep. I'll give you a chance to rest up, and then we'll start training, all right?"

Bobble took the bowl from her silently, barely inclining his head in a nod.

Scarab flew away, leaving him standing alone in the clearing, holding the clay, and shaking violently. He didn't want her to see to deeply her words had scared him. If Shade could do so much damage by simply touching him with a spell, what chance had _he_ to stop him? The dream flooded his mind, and he clenched his hands into fists. He couldn't let that happen. He _wouldn't_.

_That is what I have to stop._

_That is why I am the Protector._

He had never felt so frightened in his life (except for, you know, getting thrown halfway across Pixie Hollow by the fireworks launcher for the Blue Moon Festival). He didn't know if he was enough. He remembered Shade's taunting, the way he'd seemed less than concerned when he saw him. That was something Bobble was used to, but to hear _one of the most powerful_ fairies in _all of Neverland_ say it, he truly believed it.

_I'm not good enough. I know that. Shade knows that. But it doesn't matter. _ _Pixie Hollow is in danger, and somehow, I have to save it. _


	18. Chapter 17

_You can run and you can hide, but you can't stop the flames inside~ "Grounded" by Natewantstobattle_

* * *

That night, his dreams were full of fire and death.

Lots and _lots _of fire.

The recurring nightmare haunted his mind and plagued his heart. The distant throb of his wings didn't help either. He lay awake for hours, and when he finally did drift off, he saw fairies dying and Pixie Hollow burning and Shade laughing. He stood in the epicenter, watching everything fall to ashes around him.

_"You think_ you're _their savior?"_ Shade's voice hissed. _"You can't save them. You're not a hero. You want to stop the evil, but how can you protect your loved ones from _yourself?_"_

And then he'd wake in a cold sweat, shaking terribly like a leaf in autumn.

At dawn, he finally managed to sink into a dreamless sleep, only for it to be interrupted by the loud crashing of a door flying open and several loud voices all combining and rattling through his brain.

With a groan, he gave up on the prospect of sleep and slowly sat up. Before he was even halfway awake, there was a flash of white and someone threw their arms around him in a tight hug. The force of the impact sent him teetering and he shot out a hand to catch himself before he ended up on his back.

"You're awake! Oh, thank goodness! You're_ awake_! We were all so worried! I mean, not that _I_ was worried or anything, because _of course _you're fine! Why wouldn't you be? Other than being this super important hero who has to defend the entire Hollow, and all that. But I wasn't worried. _Nope_. Not me."

"Oh,_ totally _not," came another dry voice from the doorway.

"Gliss?" he guessed, recognizing the hyperness of the frost-talent. "Spike?"

"Guilty."

"Yes!" Gliss squeaked, releasing him from the bear squeeze. "_Hi_!"

"What...how...how are ya here?" Bobble sat all the way up now, putting his glasses on and blinking as the two frost fairies came into focus. "I thought...Pixie Hollow..." He trailed off, unable to finish. He gulped. "Ya know."

Spike nodded, but it was Gliss, unsurprisingly, who answered. "Oh, it _was_," she said, nodding vigorously. "It was_ awful_. This big, scary sparrowman just swooped in, like, _whoosh, _and demanded the thrones from Lord Malori_ and _Queen Clarion!"

Bobble frowned. "And they just_ gave them up_?"

"_Of course_ not," Spike said. "But when a fairy's that strong, there really wasn't much either of them could have done. He defeated them both, and took all of the Hollow prisoner. If Vidia hadn't come for help, we wouldn't have been with her, and we would've been captured as well."

"_Sooooo,_" Gliss cut back in. "How does it feel to be a Protector?"

Bobble chuckled weakly. "Right now, it's not so hot. Where are the others?" He looked over their shoulders hopefully. _Surely _the others were all right too. There was_ no way _Shade could have found them all, right?

"They're waiting outside," Spike answered. "There's...a very uptight pixie out there. She was _very _adamant that you weren't to be disturbed. We...snuck in when she wasn't looking." She grinned and folded her arms. For a moment, he was reminded vaguely of Vidia.

"Oh." He grinned back. "Well, I'm glad ya did. It's..._really_ good to see ya. Both of ya." And he meant that. It felt like a bit of the weight had been lifted from his chest. They escaped. _Maybe others did as well_. "Um...what about Periwinkle, Dewey, anyone else?"

The two girls shared a glance. "No," Gliss said quietly. "I don't...think anyone else got out. Spike?"

But the darker-haired fairy was shaking her head. "No. At least...I didn't see anyone."

Bobble nodded, running a hand through his hair. "So it's up to us."

"Well, _technically_, it's up to you. You're the Protector," Spike pointed out.

Gliss smacked her arm.

"Ow!"

"It's all right," Bobble told her. "I...I think I want to see the others now." He heaved himself out of bed and went straight for the door.

"Yeah," Gliss agreed. She and Spike followed right behind.

Throwing open the door, Bobble stepped into the brilliant morning sunlight. He raised a hand to shield his eyes, and was greeted by whoops and cheers from the others. "Wow...uh.._.hi_, guys." He smiled as they surrounded him, hugging him and slapping him on the back.

"I wondered how long it would take for you to wake up," Scarab said. The fairies split as the older Protector appeared. She looked different now. Instead of her traditional orange dress, she was clothed in dark gray pants and a long dark robe. Her hair was tied up in a simple ponytail and she was smiling. The sun reflected off of her many freckles. She looked _very _different than she had the day before. A million times younger, and more beautiful.

"_Whoa_."

"Not bad, right?" Scarab chuckled. She beamed even bigger. "I guess I was a little behind on the times. But I like this look _much better_." She gave a little twirl, earning laughs from some of the other girls.

Bobble chuckled, and Scarab's gaze fell on him. "Have you heard the news?"

He nodded, sobering immediately. "Shade's taken Pixie Hollow."

Scarab nodded. "It's confirmed then. All right." She sighed. "We should probably get to work." She glanced meaningfully at the others, who backed off, whispering amongst themselves.

"We'll see you later, okay?" Tink said, briefly putting a hand on his shoulder.

He nodded again as they turned and began to fly off, and then realized what she'd said. "Hang on!" he called. "Why...why are ya leavin'? Can't ya stay?"

"No," Scarab answered. "This place is for Protectors only. That's part of it's enchantment. Evil like Shade can't get in so long as fairies of other guilds don't enter our walls. I broke the rules to permit them once. And some of them, _very directly_, disobeyed my orders." She frowned at Gliss and Spike who smirked sheepishly.

"We'll be right outside," Silvermist promised, giving him a reassuring smile.

But he wasn't going to settle for that.

"No! Wait!" he called, running over to them and blocking their path. "Stay," he went on, ignoring the displeasure radiating off of Scarab. "I...I know I'm askin' a lot, but, I...I don't think I can do this with...without ya. Each of ya. Ya...know more about the talents than I ever could. A-and...I want...want ya here. L-like ya said, a guild teaches their own. Well, you're _all_ my guild."

They looked at one another and then back at him.

"What did I literally _just_ say?" Scarab groaned with a deadpan. "_Hello_? Am I invisible?"

"I can see you," Gliss offered.

Scarab sighed.

"All right," Tink spoke for the entire group. "We'll help. What do we do?"

Scarab rolled her eyes and excused herself to go sit on a large rock off to the edge, mumbling something that sounded suspiciously like, "Oh, yeah, sure. Do whatever. _Certainly_ don't listen to the _only fairy _here who knows anything about this guild."

"So where do we start?" Fawn asked.

"Well, we know of seven talents that Bobble can, more or less, control," Tink began thoughtfully.

"I vote for less," Vidia commented.

"Yes, Vid, _thank you._" Tink sighed. "_Very_ helpful."

"Water, Light, Animal, Storm, Ice, and...Fast-flying," Fawn counted them off.

"Four life..." Clank began.

"Two death," Scarab finished. She moved suddenly, grabbing a quill and zipping up, pointing it dangerously at Bobble's throat.

"Whoa, whoa, _whoa! Hold it!"_ Over half of the fairies lunged forward to protect the redhead. Tink and Gliss got there first. Tink pushed Bobble behind her, while Gliss raised her hands cautiously. "What are you doing?" Tink demanded.

"He's one of _them," _Scarab hissed.

"_No, _he's _not_," Tink snapped back. "Okay? He's _not_ like Shade. He's trying to _help."_

"_Help?!" _Scarab laughed weakly. Still, she did not lower her weapon. "Do you_ know _how many fairies _just like him_ claimed to want to do the right thing? And do you have _any idea_ what happened to them? They joined _him_. Turned their backs and betrayed the Hollow. Oh, and your kind is the absolute _worst. _Tinkers. Always so optimistic, completely loving having _special powers_. Well, let me tell you, fairies like...like _him_..." She pointed at Bobble. "They aren't the heroes of...of _anything!"_

"You don't know that!" Tink fired back, while Gliss chimed in with, "Yeah!"

"_Don't know that_?" Scarab spat. "I'm the _only one_ who knows! You don't know what it feels like to go, day after day, knowing that your best friend will someday turn on you and try and kill you. You _don't know_ what it means to truly _love_ someone, only to have them _stab you in the back." _A single tear rolled down her cheek.

"You and Shade...were...more than friends, weren't you?" Fawn guessed. "You _loved_ him, didn't you?"

Scarab nodded numbly. "And I thought he loved me. But it was all a deception. Tinkers _can't be_ Protectors. The very _thought _of power corrupts them. Shade made sure of that. That's why _this one _will _never_ be able to defeat him." She slowly lowered her weapon, but kept her hatred filled gaze on him. "You're _just_like him."

"Stop it!" Gliss pleaded.

"Do you know why they call you Bobble, Phineas?" Scarab went on, eyes flashing dangerously.

"_Quit_!" Tink snapped. "Leave him alone!"

"Because that is _exactly _what you are," the former animal talent went on ruthlessly. "A powerless, doomed-to-failure, _mistak_e."

"Hey!" Iridessa protested. "Stop it!" She pushed her way forward to glare at the female Protector. "You don't even _know _him! He couldn't hurt a fly!"

"Though he certainly did a number on the weather cycle," Vidia grunted.

They glared at her.

"_What?"_

"Lassies," Bobble began softly. "That'll do. Leave it be."

"No!" Tink snapped. "_No way_! You _can't_ let her push you around! And _you_!" she added, pointing angrily at Scarab. "You have _no right_ to talk to him like that! He's trying to save Pixie Hollow! Which is more than I can say for _you_!"

"Miss Bell..." Bobble tried again.

She ignored him. "We came here for _help_," she growled. "Because you were a Protector. You were the only one we thought might know how to help him. But clearly, all you care about is _yourself! _Come on, you guys." She put a firm hand on Bobble's shoulder and steered him away.

"You'll never make it out there!" Scarab called after them. "Take one step outside of this place, and Shade_ will _find you. And he will_ kill_ you. You can't defeat him, and you're fools to even try!"

"Well, _at least_ we're trying!" Fawn pointed out. "Which is more than_ you _are doing."

"We won't just hide, and just _hope_ he leaves us alone!" Gliss added. "That is_ our home_. And we_ will _protect it!"

And with that, they walked past the vined arches and out into the open forest. Scarab watched them go, but did nothing to try and stop them. For a while, they trekked in silence. Occasionally, a look was passed between them, but for the most part, they said nothing, and it was not until they were far into the distance that they paused near a creek to catch their breaths.

"So...what now?" Iridessa questioned, flopping down against the roots of a tree with a relieved sigh.

"What do you mean?" Gliss asked, sitting down next to her and folding her hands patiently.

"We have to defend the Hollow, right?" Fawn answered for the light-talent, watching as Silvermist and Bobble worked their way toward the water while Clank and Tink made little cups out of leaves. "Right?" she glanced around at the other fairies.

"_Right_," Spike and Rosetta said together.

"But...if you don't mind me asking, _how_?" Silvermist whispered. "We can't get anywhere near the Hollow without Nyx and the other scouts seeing us."

"Um...is that a bad thing?" Bobble asked, looking up from the bubble of water he was trying to control. It popped and fell back into the stream. He sighed. "Can't they help us?"

"No," Tink answered while the others shook their heads. "They're not...in their right minds, I guess. Shade...it's like..."

"He's controlling them," Clank finished. "It's _scary._" He shuddered.

"You saw them?" Bobble asked curiously, coming back to the group, carrying several cups of water Sil managed to draw. He handed them off and then took a seat on a log across from them.

"We sure did," Rosetta said. "And they looked absolutely _awful. _Almost as though they knew what they were doing, but couldn't stop themselves. They rounded up every fairy they could find and brought them to the Tree so Shade could brainwash them. They almost got us too, but Clank and Tink knew the back way out of Tinkers Nook. They were looking for us, _you especially. _Somehow...they knew that you'd be with us. It's almost like...they could read minds or something."

"It's Shade," Bobble explained. "One of his...abilities...is manipulation. His favorite against his enemies. I know." He shivered, thinking once again about his dream.

_"You aren't their savior."_

_"How do you protect them __from__ yourself?"_

He took a deep breath. "I think I know how we can save the Hollow," he blurted, to his surprise as much as the others.

"But first," he went on, moving forward and taking a stick to write in the dust. "There are a few things we're going to need."


	19. Chapter 18

**A/N: Hang on to your Pixie dust everyone, because we've arrived at the beginning of the climax! ^-^**

* * *

"Here is everything you asked for," Tink said, dropping the wood and wide array of other items in a pile near the water. "You know, usually _I'm_ the one coming up with the crazily insane plans that nearly get us all killed, so now I'm intrigued. What _exactly _are you thinking?"

"I'll show ya," Bobble answered, hurrying over to take a twine of string and tossing it to Iridessa and Silvermist. "Braid that into a rope," he ordered. "Make sure it's tight."

"Roger!" Sil replied, catching it in one fell swoop and swinging it around as though she were holding a baby tadpole. "Iridessa, catch!" She spun and, taking the loose end of string, tossed the roll to Dess, who caught it a bit clusmily.

"Ropes. Check." He checked them off of his list, glancing up tiredly as he walked over to the trees where Fawn, Rosetta, and Clank were working. "How are the fireworks comin' along?"

Tink made a face. "Fireworks? Um.._.what?_" She stopped as he hurried past her to adjust a vine stretched tightly from a nearby tree branch. "Okay," Tink went on, fluttering after him. "Who are you and what have you done with Bobble? Because he _never_ once in his life acted like Fairy Mary."

"What?" Clank glanced up. "You didn't know?"

Tink looked at him. "Know _what?_"

"Oh, just that, before you came along, Bobble was her favorite tinker. She was training 'im to take her place one day."

That was news to her. "What, _really_? I bet there's a story behind that."

"There is," he replied, nodding vigorously.

"That'll do, Clanky," Bobble cut his friend off. "Back to work, please."

"Seriously though," Tink inquired, ignoring the red head. "_What?_"

"Said she saw potential in 'im," Clank replied cheerfully, totally ignoring Bobble who threw his hands up in exasperation and went back to work. "I think she might have suspected there was more to him than what was on the surface. Come to think of it, he didn't seem to broken up when you came along and took his place. In fact, he said he didn't half mind losing his position to a beau-"

"_Clank_!" Bobble waved his hands in front of his face in alarm. "I _said_ that's enough."

_Was he about to say "beautiful"?_ Tink disguised her laugh as a cough. She had suspected, as she knew most of them had, that Bobble had crushed on her at her arrival, but he never made a move, and Terence had swept her off of her feet instead. But the tinker had said nothing. That was just the kind of fairy he was. Quiet, reserved, a tad bit silly, but also very sweet. Besides, Gliss had seemed to take quite an interest in him, especially since he went out of his way to find her a ginormous acorn. They'd never talked about it. She had a feeling though, that if they pulled through the next few hours, they'd come back to it. And this time, neither would dart off at the imaginary call of laundry _or_ Fairy Mary.

"Would ya come over here and help me?" the Protector went on. "And Tink? Can ya-"

"On it!" Tink darted away before the moment could become anymore awkward. She flew up into the tree and grabbed the adjoining vine to pull the opposite end of the log into the leaves. The idea was rather simple, yet, if it worked, extremely successful. "I had no idea that-"

Bobble shrugged. "It was a long time ago," he answered. "Don't worry about it, lass. I'm just pleased you're here on my side now instead of helpin' Shade."

"You and me both," she replied, tying off the rope and vaulting back to the ground.

"Wow," Vidia commented, wandering up behind them. "Hey, Tink, remember when I said that tinker-talent wasn't special? I take it back. Because _this_," she pointed at the contraption, "is pretty cool."

Tink grinned. "For once, this wasn't me." She gestured to Bobble who was once more investigating the others' work. "It looks like a bunch of disconnected junk right now, but if everything works the way it's supposed to, it'll be worth it."

"Oh, it will!" Gliss called cheerfully.

"How do you know that?" Spike asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Because I have faith in us," the younger frost fairy replied. "And we've overcome bigger obstacles than this before, haven't we?"

"No," Vidia answered sharply. "No, we haven't."

Gliss defleated. "Oh."

"No time for that," Rosetta said, passing Vidia and making shooing motions to the two frost-talents. "Gliss, you and Spike are the fastest out of all of us. You're on lookout. Go see what Shade's doing. But,_ be careful!_" she called as the two fairies took to the air and darted off. "Don't let him see you!"

"Um...was that really good idea?" Iridessa questioned, gesturing skyward. "Don't we need them _here?_"

"We can handle this," Tink answered. "Besides, I think we're almost done here. Right, Bobble?"

"Aye!" he shouted over his shoulder as he straddled a tree limb, attaching another log-trap into the trees. "Um..." he went on nervously as he tied the last strand and stood up. "There's...somethin' I've...uh...been meanin' to...ask all of ya..."

"Yes?" Rosetta questioned.

"What is it?" Silvermist asked.

"Well...I was just wonderin'...um...I feel..._bad_...for Shade, ya know?" When the others stared at him, horrified, he quickly amended his words. "He...he lost e-everythin', a-and I was...just thinkin'...m-maybe when this is...all over...we could...give him...a chance?"

Their looks were blank with shock.

"Um...sorry...but..._what_?" Rosetta demanded, crossing her arms and frowning. "Someone _please_ tell me my ears are hearin' things. You aren't supposed to be feeling sorry for him! He _took_ our _home_, for posie's sake! You're the Protector! You're supposed to be all like, 'Let's take him down! Whack! Whack! Punch!_ Bam_!'"

"Oh, _aye_, but..." Bobble struggled to find a way to argue against that. "I don't really think I can-"

"You _have_ to," Fawn interrupted, her voice understanding, yet firm. "You were chosen. Not me. Not Tink. Not _any of us_. _You_."

Bobble's wings drooped guiltily. "But, that's not _who _I _am_..."

"Yeah, we've noticed," Vidia scoffed.

"_Look,_ Bobble," Tink, seeing how distressed he was, decided to take a stab at comforting him. She wasn't entirely sure what to say. She agreed with the others, but what he was saying was true also. He _wasn't_ a violent fairy. If he could persuade Shade to leave without the use of force, then that was _definitely _the way he'd go. But he should be prepared, just in case there was no other option. "I _know _how hard this is for you, but you _may_ not have a choice. You might have to-"

"_Kill_ him?" Bobble whispered. "Tink...I...don't think I can...take a life. N-no matter...w-what." He was trembling uncontrollably.

Tink nodded, taking his hands in her own. "I _know,_" she replied, ignoring his look of surprise. "I'm sorry that you have to do this, but we're all here for you. You're not going to be alone. _Promise_."

"Ya...promise?" Bobble glanced desperately at her. "Ya won't leave me?"

This was no longer about the others. He meant_ her_. She hesitated. She couldn't go with him to defeat Shade. She'd just be a distraction. One that he could not afford. "I...promise." _I'm sorry, Bobble. But I have another part to play, and I can't tell you yet. _It hurt her to see his smile.

"Oh! But, Tink! You have to-_-oof_!" Vidia, catching on to what was happening, elbowed Silvermist roughly, sending the water-talent doubling over.

The tinkers glanced over at her in confusion, but before the fast-flyer had time to come up with an excuse, the sound of hasty windbeats drew all eyes skyward. Two streaks of golden light revealed the frost-talents as they barreled toward them at a breakneck pace.

"It'sShadehesawuswe'reoutoftimeandhemightbecomingthiswayanysecond!" Gliss said all in a rush as she landed unsteadily and Clank quickly helped her.

"Whoa, _what_?" Vidia demanded. "Did you just say you were_ seen_?"

"Yes," Spike gasped. "We think we lost the scouts, but it won't be long before Shade realizes we're not part of his 'zombie-militia'."

Even as she spoke, Tink felt Bobble lurch away from her. He fell against a tree with a gasp of pain and brought a hand to his head. "He...already knows..."

"All right!" Tink snapped, taking charge instantly. "Then it's time for us to get to work!" She clapped, drawing their eyes back to her. "So here's the plan. We're going in teams. No less than three fairies per group. We don't want anyone getting corrupted. Everyone is needed if we're going to pull this thing off. All right?"

"All right," the others agreed.

"Spike, you are going to take Gliss and Fawn to Summer to begin the barricades," Tink went on. "You have to hold the season for as long as you can. Meanwhile, Clank, you, me, and Vidia are going to slip into Tinkers Nook and make a way to break this brainwashing spell. Dessa, Sil, and Ro, you three are going to hold Spring and Autumn."

"Um...what about Winter?" Spike questioned.

Tink shook her head. "There's not enough of us to risk it," she answered. "Once we've freed the others, we'll send some to defend Winter and back both fronts up."

The two winter fairies did not seem thrilled about this, but they nodded, knowing that it was important that they trust Tink right now. If they wanted to save Winter, they needed to save the other seasons first.

"And...where's Shade?" Silvermist asked, balancing herself on the tree nearest her.

"He's at the heart," Bobble answered before Tink could. He straightened up slowly and turned on his heels to look directly toward the fading glow of the Pixie dust Tree.

"Let me guess," Vidia mocked. "'You _guys_; "_This is my tragic heroic moment! And no doubt he's waiting for me_." Brave hero face."

Bobble rolled his eyes at her attempt at his accent. He took a shuddering breath. "It's time," he whispered softly, and in his words, Tink could hear what was left unsaid running through her friend's head.

_Sink-or-swim. _

_Do or die._

_Die. Definitely die._

"Um...before we go, I just wanna say-"

Before he could begin his bound-to-be-extremely-sappy farewell, nine fairies crashed into him, embracing him in a bone-crushing hug. Each wanted to give him an equally long squeeze. None of them knew what was coming, or if they'd all make it out again.

"Good luck," Rosetta whispered, holding on an extra long time until Gliss ducked under her arms to ger her turn.

"You can do this!" the frost-talent said, grinning wide. "We're all right here with you."

"Thank ya," he replied, smiling back. He tensed as Clank scooped him up and spun him around in the biggest hug yet. "Oi...Clanky...talked about this..._lungs._.." He staggered a bit unsteadily and inhaled deeply a couple of times. Everyone waited as he took a step back and let his gaze scan from one to the next.

"Thank ya," he said again, tugging at the bottoms of his shirt nervously. "For...for everythin'. For bein' my friends. I...I couldn't h-have done this with...without ya. I just...wanted ya all to know...in case...well...in case, ya know."

The nine surrounding fairies nodded, sharing his sentiment.

"Same here," Vidia agreed. "You may be a bit..._odd_, but you're a good tinker, and a half-okay friend, when you aren't destroying things and nearly electrocuting everyone."

"VIDIA!" Tink protested.

"I'm only teasing," the fast-flyer waved the blond off. "But,_ seriously_ _though_, protect us Protector. This is what you were born for. _Literally_."

"And you can do it," Silvermist added. "We all believe in you."

Bobble nodded. He opened his mouth to reply, but a loud horn blast filled the trees, coming from the general direction of the Tree.

"What's that?" Gliss asked fearfully.

"It's the Hawk Horn," Fawn realized.

Tink nodded grimly as she gazed over Bobble's head to the land that lay beyond. "It means it's time for battle."


	20. Chapter 19

"Fly, _fly_, FLY!"

"I _am _flying, Tinkerbell! _You _fly!_"_

The sounds of multiple wingbeats grew steadily closer as the three fairies darted between the leaves. Di, Chase, and Fury were only seconds behind them. They had been spotted _way _too quickly, and they had little hope of outrunning the highly-trained scouts.

"Clank! _Hurry_! This way!" Tink shouted, careening around a bend, hot on Vidia's trail. A poisoned dart whizzed past her ear and planted itself right in her path. The ammo was designed to paralyze hawks if they got too close to the Hollow. To get hit could stop a fairy cold. Maybe even kill them. She swerved, narrowly avoiding a small willow. Several leaves blew off as she past, and Clank ducked as they went soaring past his head.

"STOP!" Di shouted, sounding uncharacteristically angry. "TINKERBELL! _ALL_ OF YOU! STOP RIGHT THERE!"

Naturally, she respected the scout, and did the exact _opposite_. "Come on!" she yelled, doubling back, grabbing Clank and dragging him after her as three more darts came flying for him. "Go, go, _go_!"

They raced across a small clearing near a stream, startling a herd of bunnies out for a stroll. They had just entered Spring and had passed the square. In the distance, Tinkers Nook was coming into view. They were _so close_.

But the scouts were right behind them.

"We're not going to make it!" Clank yelled the warning as they swerved around a cluster of trees. "They're too fast!" As he spoke, Fury caught up to him, but Vidia yanked back on a tree branch and let it fly, striking the fairy and sending her flying backward toward the forest floor.

"Keep going!" the fast-flyer yelled, readying a second branch as Chase came into view. "I've got this!" There was a zing as the second branch flew, but Chase was smarter, ducking underneath and readying another dart.

"_Vidia_!" Tink shouted.

"Go! Get to Tinkers Nook!" Vidia retorted, darting toward the heavens, drawing the attention of the remaining two scouts. "I'll meet you there!" As Di aimed another shot at her, she quickly spiraled out of the way, taking cover behind the greening leaves.

"This way," Tink hissed, taking Clank's arm and pulling him away from the clearing.

"But...Miss Vidia-"

"She'll be fine," Tink replied hastily. "There's not a scout in the world that can keep up with a fast-flying talent. We need to get to work on that machine." She glanced around as they flew. How far away was Zarina's house? Could she leave Clank at the Nook, fly there and get back without being caught? It seemed highly unlikely, and they had very little time to waste.

Her eyes drifted east, where the gold light of the Pixie dust Tree was steadily growing weaker. With the three of them holding the east season, and the others holding south and west, Bobble should have an almost clear path to Shade. If she squinted, she could have sworn she could see the glow of his wings hovering near the ground. _This will work,_ she mentally assured him, even though she knew he couldn't hear her. _Just be careful, and take it slow._

They passed through the last leg of the forest without seeing even a wing of another fairy. Whatever Shade was planning, he clearly hadn't been anticipating them. Tinkers Nook was lying abandoned in a hollow. It was entirely deserted and a haunting feeling of dread befell them. In the many years Tink had been there, she had never once seen the Nook empty. It wasn't a good feeling.

"Careful," she reminded Clank as they cautiously flew to the outer edge and took cover behind one of the mouse wagons.

"Everyone's gone," Clank whispered fearfully.

Tink nodded. "Let's just get what we need and get out of here. Come on." She peered carefully around the wagon. Seeing no one, she signaled for Clank to follow her and took off running for the workshop. "If you see anyone, try to blend in. Shade has a strong hold over this part of the Hollow. Don't trust anyone."

"Get ropes and nails and as many lost things as you can find," she ordered, sliding into her seat and grabbing her tools. A rumble of distant thunder flooded the heavens and she glanced up with a frown._ Calm down_, she pleaded. _We need more time._ She felt the electricity crackling through the atmosphere. It felt like _pure fury._ She wondered which Protector it actually belonged to.

"Here you are, Miss Bell!" Clank called, hurrying over and dumping the required items on the table in front of her.

Tink immediately set to work. "Okay, now, take this to the wagon. We're going to need Cheese, or Monty, if you can find either of them." The two brothers were the strongest of all the field mice, and Tink knew they were going to need them if they wanted to pull this off. She handed him a couple of large red buttons, and he hurried to obey.

Tink set to work, tying and hammering pieces of wood and bark together. She was so deep in thought, that she didn't hear the groan from behind her until Clank shouted for her from across the clearing.

"_What_?" She whipped around toward a pile of fallen debris. Clank hurried over.

"What is it?" he asked nervously. "A jaguar?"

"Um...I think that's unlikely_,_" Tink answered. "Come on." She fluttered over and grabbed the top plank, heaving it away with a grunt. "Clank!" she added when he didn't move. "_Help me_!"

"Coming!"

Together, the two tinkers pulled and tugged at the rubble until a familiar fairy was visible. Tink gasped. "Fairy Mary!"

The head of their guild moaned, stirring slightly and opened her eyes. She saw the two standing over her and her eyes widened. "Oh! Oh, _my_! What're you doing here? Tinkerbell? Clank? What happened to the Nook? Where is everyone, and...o_hhhh_." She tried to stand up, but sunk back against the dirt, clutching her head.

"Fairy Mary!" Clank repeated. "Are you all right?"

"I'll...be fine...in a moment. W...what happened?"

The two shared a look.

"Shade, Fairy Mary!" Clank blurted before Tink could stop him. She facepalmed behind him. _So_ _much for not trusting anyone._ "He's controlling everything! He even defeated Lord Malori and the Queen! Everyone's been brainwashed into an army of some kind! Only, me, Bobble, Tink, Sil, Ro, Dess, Vidia, Fawn, Gliss, and Spike made it out."

"Oh," Mary said slowly, blinking as she attempted to take in the entire list. "I see. Everyone's being controlled, you say?" She slowly stumbled up, and Tink moved to assist. When they nodded, she groaned again. "Oh, dear. Well, that _is_ a problem, isn't it?"

"Bobble's on his way to face Shade now," Tink said. If they were going to trust her, they might as well tell her everything. "But we're going to help him. We're building this machine that will hopefully help spread an antidote."

"All right. So what's the antidote?"

"Pixie dust," Clank answered cheerfully.

"We figured, if darkness and evil could corrupt a fairy, something light and happy might be able to counter it," Tink explained.

"I see," Fairy Mary said again, folding her arms. "And what's the problem?"

"Problem?"

"You have a problem. I know that look, Tinkerbell. You always make that face when there's something you haven't quite figured out."

"Shade's guarding the tree," Clank explained.

"Ah."

"So, you see, Fairy Mary, we could really use your help," Tink said slowly. Mary was right. Something was bothering her. Something that she couldn't quite place. It was almost like...a piece of the puzzle was missing somehow.

"Of course," Fairy Mary agreed. "Tell me what I can do."

They moved back to the table and Tink began explaining their plan in more detail. Mary nodded occasionally, adding suggestions to make the contraption more functional.

"And if you add more thrust here, it will make getting into the throne room much simpler," she said, pointing to one of the edges. Clank agreed and wrote it down.

"How is he, Tinkerbell?" the head of the guild asked suddenly.

"Huh?" Tink, who had been staring worriedly toward the tree, snapped back into reality. "Oh...you mean Bobble. He's...well, _fine _may not be the word for it. He's...scared. No, I think he's terrified. He doesn't know what he's walking into, though we all suspect it's a trap. His powers are still weak, and Shade's had a thousand years of practice."

"But he's smart too," Clank added. "He'll find a way in. Shade won't stand a chance!" He wasn't looking where he hammered, and nearly smashed his own hand.

Tink smiled at his constant enthusiasm. "And we're going to do everything we can to help. Bobble may not be stronger, but he's not alone. We won't let him do this by himself."

Fairy Mary nodded. "You three make quite the team," she commented. "If I'm being honest, when Phineas first arrived, I worried about him. He was a bit...different. Well, it makes sense now, and I think the arrival of you two have really changed him. But..."

Tink noticed the flux in her tone. "But?"

"But there's no guarantee, right? I mean, we all know what Shade is capable of. What's to stop Phineas from seeing that and changing sides?"

Tink felt her own fear well up in her throat, and she squashed it down again. "Because Bobble and Shade are very different sparrowmen," she answered. "Shade will do whatever it takes to get what he wants. Bobble has no interest in power."

"That upset you," Mary observed. "Tinkerbell, I'm-"

"No," Tink cut her off. "No, it's all right." She stood up. "I need some air. I'll be right back." And before they could protest, she had already darted off.

_"What's to stop him from changing sides?"_

_"He has Shade's__ powers!"_

_"Tinkers don't become Protectors of Life. They can't handle the power. It controls them."_

_"He'll never be strong enough."_

_"Shade will destroy him." _

Reaching the edge of the hollow, Tink screamed. A long and heartfelt scream. One she was sure every fairy in the Hollow could hear. She didn't care. Then, she turned and kicked a stump as hard as she could to try and relieve her stress, but only got an aching toe for her efforts.

"Ow, ow, _ow!_" she gasped, hopping around. "_Jingles_!"

"TINK!" Clank suddenly screamed from the direction of the workshop. "Tink, HEL-" His call for help was cut off abruptly and was followed promptly by a crash of wood.

"Clank?" Tink straightened up and started to turn around. "What is w-"

Before she could react, something blindsided her from behind and she slumped, unconscious, to the ground.

* * *

Bobble wiped his bangs out of his eyes and exhaled loudly as he ducked behind a large plant to catch his breath. He pulled his knees up to his chest, drawing deep breaths and looking around at the deserted forest. Everything was still. Even the gentle hum of breeze that normally filled the trees was gone. No rustle. No happy birds. Nothing. It was scary. _Just a little further,_ he told himself. He could already see the tree. Empty. Entirely abandoned. _Where_ is _everyone?_

Surely Shade wouldn't have kept all the fairies out of sight. He'd want to make a mockery out of Bobble, to prove that he was the stronger of the two. Perhaps Tink and the others were managing to keep them busy. But for how long, he didn't know.

Cautiously, he flew out of hiding and, keeping low the ground, continued down the path toward the Tree. How much longer would it be before someone realized he was there? How many guards would Shade send to stop him? And what if he was forced to fight someone he _knew_? Facing Shade would be hard enough, but he didn't think he would be able to hurt a friend.

_But what if that is exactly what Shade is expecting?_

The crawling sensation of fear reached his spine and he shivered. As unpleasant as it was, the possibility was still very high. It seemed as though Shade had known everything about him from the start. He would know the tinker's strength didn't come from his magic, and certainly wasn't physical. It was his heart, and the love he had for his friends. So what better way to utterly crush him than to take that away?

He reached the base of the tree half-an-hour later, and paused to stare up at the looming structure. He obviously couldn't go up the main path. That was just foolish. He needed to sneak in. But, how?

_The branches_.

His eyes fell on the knotted limbs, surrounded by thick leaves. He'd seen fairies slip in through the canopy at Arrivals when they'd been late. Fairy Mary herself did it at his. It wasn't exceptionally creative, but it might be enough to get him in.

Taking a reassuring breath, he took off, circling around to a particularly thick patch. Near the top was a tiny break in the canopy, and he easily slid in, taking cover behind a branch and settling in between two limbs to get a better view of the main floor. Dropping onto his hands and knees, he leaned against the tree, peering around the wood at the sound of anticipating footsteps.

"Where _is_ he?" Shade spat furiously to someone out of sight. "You told me that the Hollow was precious to him! You said he would_ come_!"

Bobble hastily ducked back as a second fairy slowly came into view and held his injured arm carefully.

"I never said he would come."

_The Queen_!

He slapped a hand over his mouth to hold back a gasp of horror at what he saw. She was battered, bruised, and the light from her wings was fading. Her hands were tied securely behind her back, and then securely fastened to the trunk of the tree. She couldn't fly away and escape. And if she wasn't protecting the tree, then none of the other fairies were safe.

Meaning the first thing he had to do was free Clarion.

The only question was, _how _was he supposed to do _that_?

"_Clarion,_" Shade hissed. "I _warned _you what would happen if you continued to _stall_! Now, _where is the boy_?"

Frantically, Bobble scanned the skylight around him. Vines...leaves...more vines...more leaves. What in Neverland he was supposed to make out of _those_? There was absolutely nothing. No wood, no tools, no objects he could use to help him. It was...almost as if Shade knew it.

_He's got tinker talent too._

That _had_ to be the answer. It wasn't a secret that Bobble's strongest talent was tinkering. Shade wouldn't have wanted to give him any advantages. _Which means __I__might__ have __to__ take him on face to face. _No tricks. No contraptions. Just him.

A truly unpleasant thought.

He needed to get closer. He stood up carefully, walking the branch as though it were a balance beam. He knew his wings must be glowing, being so close to the Pixie dust, but he willed as much of it away as he could. There was a better position behind Shade. From there, he could watch, and wait for the right time to strike.

"YOUR HIGHNESS!"

A voice blasted through the tree. Bobble panicked, having only gotten half-way across the tree, and dove for cover behind a cluster of leaves, trying desperately to smooth his flaming hair that would _certainly _give him away.

"Let GO of us!" came a familiar, furious shout. "Nyx! Nyx! Let _go_!"

_That's Tink,_ Bobble thought in horror, feeling his blood run cold. He peered over the foliage, spotting Tink and Clank being forced forward into the ring. They'd been caught, and he hadn't even figured out how to defeat Shade yet. Their plan was falling apart at the seams.

"_Ah,"_ Shade laughed, rising from his blackened throne. "His guildmates. How _thoughtful _of you to drop by. And...why...I think you're just in time!" Then, to Nyx, he added. "Lock them up over there. Let's see if the Protector will come now that we have some of his friends."

"But, Sire," Nyx demanded. "How do you intend to tell him? My scouts have reported no sight of him."

"I will handle it," Shade replied. "Return to your post. I will send for you shortly."

"Yes, sir." Nyx flew out.

Bobble ducked further behind the leaves. His heart was thudding painfully in his chest, threatening to falter on him at any moment. Shade had Clank and Tink. Somehow, he had to get to them. And save the Queen. And stop Shade. Why did this quest already begin to feel like suicide?

Shade growled, turning sharply on his heels and retreating to his throne. He rested a hand on his head and closed his eyes, as though concentrating deeply. "Where are you?" he hissed. "I _know_ you're here. I can feel you."

Bobble started to stand up to move again, but a sharp whiz of pain shot through his temples and he fell down again with a gasp. Immediately, the world began to disorient around him, and he closed his eyes, inhaling deeply and digging his nails into the bark beneath him. _Focus on what's real. Don't let him pull you into another vision. Focus on Tink, Clank, and the Queen. They need help. _

"Come on, tinker. Come out of whatever shadow you've been cowering in. I have your friends. And unless you want me to hurt them, you will show yourself right _this instant._"

"_No_!" Tink shouted, though she was looking around wildly, so she hadn't guessed his hiding spot yet. "Don't do it! Stick to the plan!"

"_SILENCE_!" Shade snapped. There was a bang of metal and Tink instantly fell silent.

Bobble flinched at the noise.

Shade whipped around, a wicked grin spreading across his face. "Well, _hello,_ Protector. Why don't you stop hiding? Come out and _join us._" Then, before anyone could react, fire exploded into his hands, and he tossed them toward the tinker's location.

The flames struck the branch beneath his feet. Bobble cried out as the limb collapsed, and, having no time to fly, he tumbled with it, landing painfully on the deck before the dark fairy. He groaned, pain bursting through every nerve in his body. He tried to heave himself to his feet, but his arms gave out underneath him, and he whoozily removed his sling to try again.

Something took hold of him, jerking his arms to his side and dragging him straight up onto his tip-toes. He gasped, blinking fearfully at Shade as the evil Protector stood before him, arm outstretched, holding his rival suspended with some kind of spell.

"How _kind _of you to join us," Shade hissed as Bobble struggled against the invisible force-field. "I was wondering how long it would take you to learn of my victory and come crawling back here to try and stop me. But, alas, you were_ far_ too late. Welcome, tinker, to the new _improved_ Pixie Hollow!"


	21. Chapter 20

**_"With our backs to the wall, the darkness will fall. We never quite thought we could lose it all." ~ "Ready, Aim, Fire" by Imagine Dragons._**

**A bit of foreboding for ya ;)**

* * *

"You won't need this anymore."

There was a tone of mockery in Shade's words as he flicked a hand and Bobble's backpack was yanked from his shoulders and thrown across the room. The flap opened, revealing the last of his smaller inventions: a bunch of rope, some pieces of wood in the shape of a box, and a stone pocket knife. All useless now.

Bobble tried to move his arms, but found them glued to his sides by the unseen force. No matter how hard he fought, they didn't budge. His gaze darted desperately toward Tink and Clank, who were locked in giant birdlike cages dangling overhead. They stared back, looking as shocked as him. "I-if ya're goin' t-to k-kill me," he gasped. "Y-ya m-might a-as well g-get it o-over with." His heart hammered in his ears, making Shade's next words almost undistinguishable.

"Isn't it beautiful?" the evil sparrowman whispered, pacing toward the overlook facing the Hollow. His body glitched and jumped as a trail of smoke followed him, and Bobble remembered that the Protector had no solid form. _He must take from another_. Spurn's voice rang in his ears.

Suddenly, he had a terrible feeling he knew why he wasn't dead yet.

"This is what the Hollow was always meant to be," Shade went on, gesturing outward to the darkened forest. The storm overhead was growing stronger. It would be upon them in a matter of minutes. "A land ruled by one monarch. One who could _fully comprehend _all fairy-talents. A king who understands every talent _equally_ can better utilize his forces, and make the best future for everyone."

"Queen Clarion was doin' that," Bobble pointed out. "If that's the only reason, let everyone go, and let the Queen get back to work."

Shade laughed. It was a terrible sound. "You _still don't know anything_, do you? She isn't like you and I. She _can't do_ what we can. Her powers are limited. Life has no strength against Death. That has always been the balance. A balance unbreakable by any force." He spun back to face the tinker. "You remind me of myself in so many ways. Headstrong, but very, _very_ underestimated. By your guild, and by your friends. But it doesn't have to be that way. The power is there, in your hands. All that's left is for you to find the courage to use it."

"Ya don't know anything about me," Bobble snapped.

"_On the contrary," _Shade fired back. "I know _everything _about you. I know how you strived to fit in, to _be_ one of them, because your _precious queen _warned you of what would happen if _anyone _were to find out what you _really were. Powerful._ You wanted _so desperately _to be accepted, that you _completely _forgot who you were. You no longer wanted to be a Protector. You wanted to be..._ordinary." _He spat the word with contempt. "You see, the stories of the Protectors, they left out _one tiny important detail. _The moment they are born, the first-arrived can sense the second. I knew who you were _long _before you ever did."

"I'm flattered," Bobble said tonelessly. "But, _ya_ have missed somethin' too. _I'm nothin' like ya. I_ don't go around terrorizin' fairies to get them to do my biddin'. I _don't want _to rule them. And I _am not the Protector of Death." _For the first time ever, he felt sure of himself saying that. He wasn't the villain. He _couldn't _be. Because he was trying to _stop_ fairies from getting hurt. He and Shade were not at all the same, and that was all the evidence he needed.

"And_ that_ is where you are wrong," Shade hissed. "You and I...we're _exactly_ the same. You're just as responsible for this as me. You may not accept it, but it's true. Besides, the Harvest Moon has spoken. There were to be two Protectors of Death this time. The reign of good and life in Pixie Hollow is _over. _Accept it_. You've lost._"

"_No..._" Bobble whispered weakly. "That's...that's not true! I'm not...I'm not...like ya."

"Then_ prove_ it," Shade spat. "_Prove _that you're the Protector of Life." He waved his hand, and the invisible forcefield broke.

Bobble dropped awkwardly to the ground, already forming light talent through his hands. He thrust it forward as he landed with a stumble.

Shade held up a hand. A shield formed around him. The light reflected off of him and plowed back into Bobble, throwing him harshly to the floor. He lay there, gasping for breath. His body wouldn't respond to his commands to stand. Everything hurt. In a single blast, he had been rendered defenseless.

"_Bobble_!" Tink and Clank screamed together.

Shade jeered, "_That's it? _After everything I had heard about you, how you were _so powerful_, all you can do is produce a little _light_? I suppose I may have _overestimated _you."

"Bobble! Get up!" Tink shouted. "He's coming! _Get up!_"

"Yes," Shade sneered. _"Stand up_. Face me. You said you were the Protector of Life? Well, I'm not convinced. You're more of a weak wannabe with pathetically fading powers."

Summoning all the strength he could muster, Bobble launched another shower of light and heaved himself back to his feet, swaying unsteadily. Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted Tink whisper something to Clank. A faint glint caught his attention. Tink caught him watching and gave a small nod. They were working on a way out, which meant Bobble just had to distract Shade for a little longer.

The ball of light sped out the leaves and landed somewhere below. Shade whistled, chuckling as he watched it disappear from view. "_Now,_" he hissed, summoning lightning into his fingers. "It's _my _turn."

"Look out!" Tink cried.

"Run!" Clank yelled.

Bobble braced himself as Shade fired the electricity. Being small and wiry came in handy for the first time, as he easily twisted away from the point of impact, hitting the ground and rolling away as part of the tree splintered behind him. He sprang up, and ran behind Shade, even as the evil Protector was preparing to strike again, summoning water to him and blasting it forward.

It collided and Shade howled as he was thrown backward. He whipped around, and struck Bobble with the lightning.

The tinker screamed as his body absorbed the electricity and he fell once more, writhing and struggling against the sharp blasts. He clenched his teeth, still shrieking, and desperately felt for something to discharge the lightning to. He couldn't see, and the pain he'd been fighting grew excruciating.

"Nice try," Shade hissed. "But your little tricks won't save you. Or _them_." He swung an arm, and a ferocious breeze whizzed through the leaves, picking up Bobble and tossing him into the tree. The younger Protector groaned, slumping weakly, consciousness slipping away slowly, along with the hope of saving the Hollow. "_I'm_ the king," Shade went on. "And no worthless little twig like you is going to _stop me_."

"Maybe he won't," came a voice behind him. "But _I _will."

There was a clunk, and a bang, and Shade yelled out, staggering and clutching his head furiously as he turned to see who had assaulted him.

"T-tink?" Bobble whimpered. Sure enough, the blond fairy was standing there, hammer in hand, obviously the weapon she had just used to strike Shade. Not far away, Clank was already working on freeing the Queen, though, by his mutters, it was going to take a while.

"You got free," Shade hissed. "_Clever._ I do believe I may have underestimated my own guild. Tinkers have gotten much bolder since my banishment. But, no matter. You chose the wrong side in this fight, my dear."

And then he proceeded to try and blast her away.

Tink darted out of the way, circling around and coming to stand protectively in front of Bobble. "You want to help Pixie Hollow," she said desperately. "This isn't the way! Destroying everything won't fix _anything_!"

"Maybe not," came another voice from somewhere in the trees. Both Tink and Bobble looked up in surprise to find Spurn hovering there, looking once more possessed. "But it will _certainly_ get everyone's attention."

"_Spurn_," Queen Clarion gasped. "Not you too!"

"Sorry, sis," the Protector said with a shrug. "But you're on the wrong side once more. There is only one way to fix this broken world. And that is to start it completely over."

"_No_!" Bobble and Tink screamed together.

"Get the girl," Shade ordered. "The Protector is mine to finish!"

"Well," Tink muttered as she backed up next to Bobble and helped him up. They were pinned against the tree. There was nowhere to run. They couldn't fly, or risk getting shot down. It was two against two, and there was nowhere to go. "I think this is officially it. Out of the frying pan-"

"And into the fire," Bobble finished. "Tink...I'm sorry I got ya into this." He fired up his powers once more. He felt the freezing sensation cascade through his blood. _Ice_. A talent of death. No...a talent of life. _His _talent. It didn't matter what power he had. What mattered was what was in his heart. That was what separated him from Shade, and why he could never be like him. _Ever._

"Hit the deck!" he shouted, shoving her down and releasing a blast of ice.

Tink darted out between the sparrowmen while they were distracted, and, readying her hammer, prepared to whack Shade once more. Spurn recovered first, however, and saw what she was about to do.

"Oh, no you _don't_!" he growled. He summoned light and sent it plowing into her.

"TINK! LOOK OUT!" Bobble threw himself in front of her, taking the brunt of the attack. The force of the attack sent him careening backward. He fell into Tink and both tinkers crashed to the ground.

"That was a foolish thing to do, Protector," Shade snarled, standing over them, fire leaping from his hands. "And now, you will _both _die!"

Tink groaned and Bobble shifted to protect her with his body the best he could. He could feel Tinkerbell quivering fearfully and he wished he knew how to save her. He knew he was about to die. He would take as much of the flames as he could, but there was no guarantee that Tink would be spared. _ I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry._ He closed his eyes, bracing for the end.

"_HEY!_ SHADE!"

Through his eyelids, he was aware of a bright flash of light and a crash of thunder shook the Hollow. Cautiously, he opened his eyes and looked up. His jaw dropped when he saw Scarab standing there, arms crossed as she glared at the two fairies furiously.

"Why don't you pick on someone your own size?"

"_Scarab_?" Shade gasped. His eyes widened and he immediately dropped his hands, the fire fading instantly. "You're.._.alive_?"

"I missed you too," she snapped. "And what's _this_?" She gestured to Tink and Bobble. "_Two _against _one_? Now, _come on_, I knew you didn't play fair, but you were never this low before."

"What do you_ want_?" Shade growled. "We're kind of in the middle of something here."

"I want you boys to stop fighting," Scarab answered shrewdly. "You're disturbing the entire forest, and my afternoon walk."

Bobble wasn't sure, but he thought he saw Shade roll his eyes in exasperation. _They really_ are _like a married couple,_ he thought. "Tink," he whispered, shaking her gently. "Tink, get up." She opened her eyes and blinked at him in confusion. "Come on," he told her, standing up and helping her to her feet. "While they're distracted."

She nodded and began to creep along the outer wall. Her hand found his and she grasped it tightly, pulling him along behind her. "We need a plan," she whispered. "They won't be focused on Scarab for long. How much power do you have left?"

Bobble thought for a moment, and weighed the spells' effects on him. "Two or three, mebbe," he replied. "Dependin' on their size."

"Great. I have an idea. When I tell you, ice the floor."

"_What?_"

"Just trust me. This way." Tink pulled him toward Clank and the queen. "How's it coming?" she asked Clank.

"Getting there, Miss Bell," he replied, tugging at another knot.

"I can help," Tink offered, crouching down next to him.

"Me too," Bobble volunteered.

"No." Tink stopped him with a shake of her head. "We can take care of this. You just keep watching those three. Your Majesty," she added, curtsying hastily to Clarion.

"Thank you. All of you," the queen replied. "You're very brave."

"Not really," Clank said. "I'm pretty scared right now."

Clarion laughed. Nearby, a few leaves regained their color.

"So...after I freeze the ground, what then?" Bobble inquired. "I can't ice skate."

"Yes, but neither can they."

"They have wings."

"So do you."

Bobble frowned. "Tink, that's not a logical-"

Suddenly, the Queen's eyes widened. "_Phineas! Get down_!"

He didn't dare disobey, flattening himself to the ground as a billow of fire rocketed over his head and exploded into the patch of new leaves. Tink and Clank jumped back and, somewhere behind them, Shade laughed.

Bobble slowly turned back to face the Protectors, finding Scarab squaring off against Spurn, leaving Shade standing there, fire ready to go again. "You can't protect them all," Shade hissed gleefully. "In the end, someone will die. The only question is, _who_?"

"Bobble?" Tink whispered, catching his arm as he went to stand.

"I've got this," he assured her. He felt his hands clenching into fists. "Don't worry."

Tink abruptly looked away, mumbling something that sounded a lot like, "I _am_ worried."

He ignored her as he took a deep a breath and focused his glare on Shade, who seemed...amused by this. "This ends here and now," he shouted, swallowing the tremor in his words. "I won't let ya go on hurtin' fairies. If it's a war ya wanted, then ya got it."

Shade laughed. "Give me your worst, sparrowman."

_Ice...use the ice! Use it NOW! _Summoning all of his strength into one massive wave of power, he aimed the blast toward the ground. White light exploded from his hands, hit the ground, and spread. A tremendous creak came from the Pixie dust Tree and it convulsed several times under the ice.

Shade laughed, tapping the new ground with a shoe. "Not bad. But you forgot one thing." Then, before Bobble could react, he activated his fast-flying talent, zipped forward, grabbed the tinker, and slammed him down hard against the ice. "_I can fly._" He slammed a fist at Bobble's head, but the Protector nimbly slid out of the way, using the ice to his advantage as he attempted to stand.

Bobble readied one more shot of light. He jumped up to Shade's left, panting. His feet slipped, and he just barely caught himself against a tree.

"Come on, tinker," Shade hissed. "You're almost out of strength. What do you have left, one attack? _Pitiful._"

"I'll...I'll show ya pitiful," Bobble snapped back. And he released the magic, already darting away across the ice, using the little Gliss had taught him to weave and dodge around Scarab and Spurn. Several bolts of electricity followed him, but they all missed. Bobble reached the opposite edge of the tree and held out his hands with one final blast of power.

"This is for Pixie Hollow!" he yelled. His body began to glow with an odd amount of magic, and the light that gushed from his hands was many colors combined.

Shade threw up his shield once more, but immediately, he began to weaken, unable to get a good foothold on the icy surface. The spell reflected off of the barrier, crashing into parts of the tree and setting them aflame.

Shade screamed in fury as the magic kept coming, and his shield began to flicker.

Bobble yelled furiously, feeling the talents all being sucked from him at once.

"I...won't..._lose_!" Shade bellowed. "If I can't take Pixie Hollow, then I will take something precious from you_ instead_!" Then, he abruptly turned his shield, and the light went flying for another source.

Tinkerbell.

"NO!" Bobble cried, watching her yell out and crumple to the ground. Immediately, he switched off his powers, stumbling weakly. His knees gave out and he fell, just catching himself in time. "TINK!" He scrambled back up and ran toward her desperately.

Shade's shield fell, and he collapsed, motionless.

Bobble didn't stop to see if he was alright. His mind was focused on Tink alone. Clank and the now-freed Queen were already at her side, and whatever spell Spurn had been under was fading. "Tink!" he gasped, reaching her side and sliding in on his knees. "Tink! Miss Bell! Can ya hear me? _TINK?_" He reached for her, shaking her shoulders desperately. She gave no response, her body limp. "No! _No_! _Tink_!"

"Phineas," Queen Clarion said gently, taking him by the shoulders and pulling him away. "It's too late. I'm sorry."

"W-what?" He blinked up at her, tears pouring down his face. "Are ya saying..."

"She's gone," Clank whispered in disbelief. "Tink's gone."

"She's...she's dead," Bobble choked, his wings drooping all the way to the ground in horror. "Tink's dead...and _I_ killed her."


	22. Chapter 21

**I blame what happens next on too much Lord of the Rings...I am truly sorry. Bobble, please don't hate me...**😬😅

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Despair hit him like a bolt of electricity, sharp and fast. He wanted to scream. He wanted to run and hide. He wanted to wake up from this awful nightmare and realize that none of this had ever happened, that he was just an ordinary tinker, and he hadn't killed one of his best friends.

But it _had_ happened. It _was_ real. And Tinkerbell was dead.

The pain exploded through his heart, and he dropped to his knees and buried his face in his hands, sobbing uncontrollably. "No," he moaned over and over. "_No_."

Two big hands grasped his shoulders and pulled him roughly away from Tink. He desperately clung to her, but Clank was stronger, and Bobble was left crying against his best friend. "What have I done?" he whimpered helplessly. "What..._what have I done_?"

"It wasn't your fault," Clank tried to reassure him. "It was Shade. He tipped 'is shield. You couldn't have done anything." He patted Bobble awkwardly on the back, unsure what to say to make him feel better.

"Phineas," Queen Clarion whispered gently. "Are you all right? Are you hurt?"

He shook his head weakly. "I'm...I'm fine." He gazed helplessly at his hands. They were shaking, much like the rest of him. He could still see Tink's look of horror as the blast had been turned upon her. All of his anger and rage, finally brimming to the surface, the fury that was intended for Shade, had misfired. It had killed her. And he hadn't been able to stop it.

A horrendous chuckle bubbled up from behind them, and as Bobble stood slowly, he turned to find Shade already on his feet, stumbling toward him, a wicked grin plastered across his face. "You really thought_ you_ could save them?" he jeered. "You're a _monster_, just like me. Just look at what you did to _her._"

The shaking grew worse. Everything was dark. Dark, and red. He didn't know what happened next, but somehow, his knife found its way into his quaking hands. He saw Shade. The evil Protector, the reason Tinkerbell was dead. He could see nothing else. His hatred had reached it's boiling point.

Clank seemed to notice something was wrong. "Bobble?" he questioned. "What're you doing?"

But he couldn't hear him. Blood was rushing through his ears, and he could focus on nothing else. This sparrowman, this fairy, had killed Tink. And by the Pixie dust Tree, he wasn't going to get away with it. "Ya killed her," he snapped. "_Ya did_! A-and now, you're gonna pay for it!"

He didn't think, he just acted. Screaming in anger and pain, he lunged forward. He didn't see the knife go in, or the look of utter shock spread across Shade's face. Behind him, he heard the others shriek and he fell back with a stumble. He felt the blood oozing over his hands and he gasped in shock when he realized what he'd done. He lost his balance and toppled onto his back, crying out as Shade lurched forward, the blade protruding from his chest, and hit the floor, dead.

"Phineas!"

"Bobble!"

Clank was at his side in a moment, heaving him up and pulling him away from the evil fairy. The Protector put up no fight as he was jerked back. Tears of fear began to roll down his cheeks and he looked up desperately at the Queen. "I...I...I'm sorry...I...didn't mean to-"

Her stare was blank with shock. Sadness was written all over her face. There was a clatter of swords and Scarab appeared at their sides. "What did I miss?" she breathed. Then, she spotted the red all over Bobble's hands. "_Oh._"

He blinked, tears nearly blinding him. "I...Scarab...I-"

"You did what you had to do," she cut him off gently. The pain was still evident in her eyes, however, and she wouldn't meet his gaze. "You did what none of us could bring ourselves to." She saw his look of desperation and terror, and, with a sigh, commanded, "Hold out your hands."

He was confused, but he did as he was told. Scarab summoned a small spout of water and used it to wash the blood away. But it didn't stop his shaking, or the look of terror in the eyes of the others.

"T-thank ya," he stammered.

Then, before they could say any more, he turned and hurried back to Tink's side, dropping to his knees and summoning the little strength he had left. "Scarab! Your Majesty! I'm gonna need your help!"

"I'm here too," Spurn added, appearing seemingly out of nowhere. "But...what are you thinking, tinker?"

"If...if I'm the Protector of Life," he explained. "Then...then I should...be able...to save her. B-but I don't know how."

"Oh..." Clarion's eyes widened. "I think I understand."

"But...that's _not possible_," Scarab snapped. "_No fairy_ has the power to bring back the dead. Not for-"

"Thousands of years," Clarion finished. "Phineas, are you _sure_? This is very dangerous."

He nodded. "I haveta try. What do I do?"

The other three shared a glance, and Spurn nodded. Then, Clarion and her brother turned to face Scarab. She, in turn, stared back blankly. "What?" she inquired. "Why are you both looking at me like that, and..._oh no_..._absolutely not_."

"Scarab?" the queen said gently. "You're the only one of us who knows ancient spells."

"Meaning?" Scarab sniffed.

"'_Meaning_' you might know a way to save her," Spurn snapped. "In fact, I _know_ you do, so spit it out already!"

"He's not strong enough," Scarab fired back. "It might kill him."

"I wanna try," Bobble cut in. "I _need_ to try." He looked at her pleadingly. "_Please_. Tell me what to do."

Scarab hesitated, but then, seeing the desperation written across his face, she sighed in resignation. "All right," she said grimly. "But you're going to have to do_ exactly_ as I tell you, do you understand? That means no horsing around, no arguing, and _definitely_ no using your magic until I say."

Bobble nodded quickly.

"Come here," Scarab instructed, kneeling down next to him. "Give me your hands." He did so, and she took them, moving closer as to hold them over Tink. "For this spell to work, you need to focus on every little bit of life talent you can muster. Think of all the happy things that you can. Come on. I'll help you."

"Be careful," Clank pleaded. Queen Clarion gestured for him to back away.

"If it gets to be too much for you, I order you to stop," the queen instructed. "I don't need to lose _two_ fairies today."

Bobble took a deep breath. "I'm ready. Show me how."

"All right," Scarab said cautiously. "Everybody stand back." She summoned light into her hands, the glow spilling over onto his. He gasped as his powers activated of their own accord, and Scarab stepped away from him as he looked toward her helplessly.

Scarab set her jaw. "Think happy thoughts."

The light grew brighter. He could feel his hands shaking, but now it was from the immense power radiating from his fingers, not fear. "Scarab?" he asked nervously. "Is this...supposed to happen?"

"Positive thoughts, Kettletree," Scarab growled.

He blinked, struggling to stay conscious as everything swirled around him. He desperately thought of all the happy memories he could. Tink's arrival. Going to the mainland. Meeting Lizzie. Breaking the rules and bringing Peri to the Hollow. Meeting Gliss. The power increased, as did the darkness surrounding his vision. _Come on, Tink,_ he pleaded silently._ Please wake up. I can't hold on much longer._

He felt weightless. With a gasp, he fell, throwing out a hand just in time to catch himself. Next to him, Scarab faltered as well, but quickly righted herself. "Focus, tinker," she grunted. "Don't pass out on me now."

Bobble tried to nod, but his head felt heavy. Blackness was inching closer and closer, and it took all of his concentration to remain conscious. Scarab took his hands once more, holding him up the best that she could. But everything was slipping away now. _Tink...please..._

"He's fading!" he heard Scarab shout in panic. "Kettletree! _Don't you dare_...Phineas! _Phineas!_ Are you _listening_ to me?!"

Tink wasn't responding. He didn't know what to do. _I'm__ sorry_, he thought once again. Scarab let go of him and he slipped a hand into Tink's as the last of his strength was failing. He felt himself fall next to her, and Clarion shouting for him to stop, but he was no longer in control. The magic was commanding his actions now, and he was going to see it through till the end.

"Bobble!" Scarab yelled, using his nickname for the first time in fear. "Don't fall asleep! You hear me? That's an _order_!"

_You're not the head __of__ my guild. _A small smile crept onto his face as he thought about Fairy Mary, and all the other fairies. He'd saved the Hollow. Shade was dead, the spell forever broken. Life would go on.

But not for him.

The darkness was closing in. He couldn't fight it. He didn't want to. He squeezed Tink's hand tightly in farewell, mentally apologizing for not being able to save her...and then, he felt the tiniest flicker of a pulse.

He had just enough time to register the minuscule presence of life before everything faded, and the world snapped to black.


	23. Epilogue

**_Last chapter everybody! I truly hope you enjoyed reading this story as much as I enjoyed writing it! I am currently working on a prequel that explains some backstory for Bobble's powers. It's called Wings of Change. I hope you'll check it out! Enjoy!_**

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_5 days later..._

Something was tapping loudly outside his window. The moon was shining, pouring in through the tinted glass, and a gang of fairies were waiting anxiously outside his door for the first word of change from the healing talents. They had stayed awake relentlessly, leaving only to use the bathroom, or to eat. Even at night, they would take rotating shifts so that someone would always be awake in case he were to suddenly come around.

The other fairies began to notice this odd behavior, but when they approached to ask why everyone was there, they said Bobble had had a work related injury. They decided to leave his powers a secret. It was what was best for him, and for the Hollow.

The leaders of their guilds understood the devotion they felt, but had also decided that they needed their workers back to prepare for the oncoming winter season. Lord Malori gave Peri, Spike, and Gliss three days, and then they were to report back to the Frost Forest.

After all, Malori had said gently. If he hadn't responded within three days, there was a good chance that he wasn't going to.

They refused to believe that, but the three days came and went, and so the winter fairies sadly said farewell and headed home, only after being reassured by Tink that she would send a message just as soon as Bobble woke up.

The rest of them were given four more days, until the end of the week, and then they too would need to go home. They had reluctantly agreed, hoping that, by some miracle, he would be awake and waiting for them that day.

But it wasn't that day.

Or the next.

_Finally_, on the close of the _fifth day, _Rosetta awoke to find a healing talent sparrowman hurrying from Bobble's room. Straightening her dress, the garden-talent hurried over and demanded to know why he was in such a state.

"It's your friend, miss," he responded, handing his clipboard to one of the fairies at the entranceway. "He's awake."

Great news! Rosetta had almost done a twirl right then and there. She immediately rushed back to wake the others, never mind that it was almost midnight. When she told then what had happened, they were all instantly awake and thankful. They erupted into cheers so loud that they nearly got themselves kicked out.

"We can see him," Rosetta explained. "But only one at a time. He's not fully conscious of where he is just yet, and the last few minutes before he passed out are a bit fuzzy. Don't wanna alarm him, if you know what I mean."

"Tink should go first," Iridessa said, pushing the blond forward. "He _did_ risk his life to save her after all. Maybe it would be reassuring to see that he succeeded."

The others nodded in agreement, so first thing the next morning, Tink put on a brave face and fluttered toward the door. The others watched her go hopefully. Silvermist held her breath as the tinker knocked softly on the door, and received a weak "Come in," in response.

She cracked the door just enough to slip in. The room was flooded with sunlight, and she found her friend lying in bed, blinking curiously in her direction as she entered. He wasn't wearing his goggles, so it was safe to assume he didn't know who had come. "Bobble?"

He knew her voice right away. "Miss Bell," he replied, the faintest trace of a smile sliding in between a grimace. He sunk further into his pillows and let out a noticeable sigh of relief. "How are ya feelin'?"

"Just fine." Tink walked slowly across the room. "_Thank you_." She wasn't thanking him for asking, but that was very clear to the both of them. "The Queen told me what happened," she went on. "It was risky, doing what you did."

He tried to follow her movements. "Are ya scoldin' me?" he asked, turning a little red behind the ears. "'Cause Scarab already gave me an earful before ya arrived."

"Really?" That surprised Tink. "I didn't see her, but, yeah, you probably deserved it." She chuckled, just imagining the scene. He wasn't one who liked being scolded, mostly because he always followed instructions to the tee. She wished she'd been there to see that now.

"She went back to Fairy's Haven," he explained. "She didn't want to be here, in the way, she said." He finally found her sitting in a chair in the far corner, and he suddenly seemed afraid. "Tink...I...um...I'm sorry," he whispered.

"_Sorry?_" she repeated, confused. "What are you sorry for? You saved the Hollow! You're a hero! Although, I admit, the dying part was a bit over dramatic, but I think you made your point." She smiled to assure him she wasn't upset. "You're the Protector of Life. No doubt about it."

"But I should've known Shade would go after ya and..." he gulped and trailed off, realizing that she wasn't angry at him for letting her get hurt. She didn't blame him at all. "A-and...is everyone..."

"Everyone is just fine," she said. "In fact, most of the Hollow has gone back to work. And, before you ask, no, we didn't tell everyone that it was you who saved them. We thought you'd rather keep that to yourself."

He managed a full smile this time. "Aye. Thanks. And...Shade...what happened to him? Scarab said I..." He stopped, looking horrified at the very thought.

"He's dead," Tink confirmed. "It doesn't matter how." If he couldn't remember, then there was no point in forcing him to relive the experience. "Queen Clarion gave him a proper burial outside of the Hollow. She said, he may have been wrong to do what he did, but he was still a fairy, and he still deserved to be respected."

He said nothing, and his eyes were closed. Tink took that to mean he was done talking.

"Well," she said, standing up and walking back toward the door. "Everyone's waiting outside to see you, so I'd best let them come before they knock the whole place down. Oh, and by the way, Clank fixed your goggles."

"Tink?" he called after her softly as she grabbed the door and started out.

"Yes?"

"I'm glad you're all right."

Tink smiled. "Feel better soon, alright?" She stepped out, letting an eager Silvermist go next.

It was three more days before the healing-talents would let him leave. The others had returned to work for a single day, but were anxiously waiting for him to be discharged, which was why it was so much of a shock when Tink looked up that hot afternoon to see him strolling through Tinker's Nook. Not flying. His wings were still on the mend, and it would be a long while before they were fully functional again, but he didn't complain, saying he would enjoy the walk.

He was currently running a hand fondly over a wheel of the mouse carts. Cheese was at his side, and he was using the mouse as a brace as he went. Several of the others paused to watch him limp through the workshop. Many of them were aware that he'd been a part of the reason Pixie Hollow was saved, though none of them knew the details, and it wasn't hard to see that he'd been roughed up pretty badly. Bruises covered his face and arms, and his broken arm had once more been put into a sling, along with other bandages not visible across his chest.

Several eyes passed from him to Tink as the blond stood up and fluttered over to join him, each forming their own suspicions, but no one saying a word.

"Hey."

"Hey," he replied.

"We didn't expect you until tomorrow," Tink admitted a little sheepishly. "It's a bit of a mess around here."

"What, plannin' some kinda party while I wasn't here?" He grinned, scanning the workshop. "It's perfect," he added, taking his arm off of his support to gesture at everything. "I really missed this place." He patted Cheese on the neck and the mouse smiled.

"You're a tinker," she said, nodding knowingly.

"Among other things."

"So what are you going to do now?" Tink asked, noticing his downcast tone. "You could...well...I guess you could be anything you want now. You know Scarab offered you a position in Fairy's Haven?"

"Aye. But I told her I wanted to stay here. This is my home. And, this is where I belong. In the workshop."

"Have you talked to Zarina yet?"

"Aye. She's ready whenever we are. I told her that I needed to stop and see everyone first."

"All right," Tink said. "Let me just grab my things and I'll be set."

He waited as she rushed back over to her table and threw all her tools into her bag. She slung the backpack over her shoulders and then signaled for him to follow. So, saying farewell to Cheese, he obeyed.

The trek to Zarina's workshop took a good hour on foot. All the way, they chatted and laughed about the simplest things. How Silvermist had been so happy to be able to hug her tadpoles again that she jumped in the water, and Fawn and Iridessa had been forced to drag her out, still holding the tadpole. And then, when Iridessa hadn't been looking, Vidia had stirred up all the winds and sent her spinning into one of her own rainbows.

Several storm fairies waved to them as they zipped past overhead and disappeared into white clouds. For the first time in days, the air was filled with laughter and warmth. Autumn had arrived in Neverland, and it was truly beginning to feel like itself again.

They trekked the last leg of the journey in silence. Tink could feel her friend tense beside her, and she couldn't help, but wonder what was going through his mind. After all these years hiding away so many abilities, he was about to give them all up. No doubt he was thinking of what Scarab said about tinkers being unable to rid themselves of the feeling of power, and she felt a jerk of alarm as his hands clenched and he took a deep breath before he knocked on the door.

Zarina answered almost immediately. She was dressed as though she'd just been experimenting with her dust, but she quickly brushed the grains away when she saw them. "Oh! Hello! I suppose your here for the talent dust, right?"

Bobble nodded. "Please."

"All right," Zarina said, nodding and stepping back from the doorway. "Come in. You say you want to get rid of these...extra talents...that you happened to stumble upon?"

Tink shot him a look, but he wouldn't return it as he nervously nodded. To lie to Zarina was a difficult task, and the alchemist looked _less than convinced, _but said nothing and, instead, went over to her desk and began picking out certain portions of different colored dust. "Tinker-talent, right?"

"Aye."

"Hmmm." As Zarina worked, Tink crept up behind her to watch her work, and to poke and prod at the samples lying on the workbench. "Tinkerbell, kindly refrain from contaminating my Pixie dust," Zarina went on calmly.

"Oh, but...it's so pretty. I love all the colors!" Tink reached for the dust once more.

Zarina smacked her hand away. "I cannot work with an audience," she snapped. "Go stand over there." She pointed to the corner of the room. "And _don't touch anything."_

Tink sighed, and, for once, did not argue.

The two tinkers watched silently as Zarina quietly mixed blue and yellow dust together, and shook it into a pale green. She repeated this process twice, and then turned toward them with a slight frown. "All right," she said firmly. "I don't know what the two of you are playing at, but, I don't want any part of it. _However_ if I find that _either _of you have tampered with this, I will _never_ speak to either of you again."

"Noted," Tink said with a nod. "Don't worry, you can trust us."

"When Tinker Bell says, 'Don't worry,' all of the _Hollow_ starts sweating. All right," Zarina held up the bowl. "I'm going to dump this on you," she added to Bobble. "It should wipe out any extra talents and restore the tinker talent, okay?"

He nodded, taking a long breath and bracing himself.

Zarina dumped the dust over his head and he shivered as it coated his hair and clothes. "How do you feel?" she inquired.

"Fine," he answered quietly. "Thank ya."

"Well," the alchemist said, setting down the bowl and brushing the dust from her hands. "That should do it. Your talents should have switched back."

"Thank you, Zarina," Tink said.

She nodded. "All right, you two. I have to get back to work. So, if you wouldn't mind, shoo." She waved them toward the door.

They both thanked her and headed out. Tink watched her friend nervously as he descended the root unsteadily. "Hey, are you all right?"

"Aye."

The answer was too short, too abrupt. He was definitely lying. "No, you're not. Hold on." She darted in front of him to block his path. He blinked at her tiredly. "What is it?"

"T-the talents," he gasped. "I...feel them leavin'. It...hurts. Not...physically, but, it's like, all the power I've ever felt. It's just...all gone." He sounded so lost, as if something precious had just been ripped from him.

Tink didn't understand what that felt like, but she knew she couldn't let him second-guess himself now. "Hey," she said, fluttering over and putting a hand on his shoulder. "You're going to be all right, okay? You're a tinker now. Just like you've always wanted, right? No more evil fairies, no more fighting. Doesn't that sound good?"

He turned to face her with a small smile. "Aye. That it does. I'm fully a tinker now. I'll get used to it."

"That's the spirit!" Tink exclaimed, throwing an arm around his shoulders, causing him to jump slightly. "And, look! It's a brand new day. The sun is shining. The birds are singing. Come on, what could possibly go wrong? Let's go back to the Nook and start on some new crazy contraption. What do you say?"

"Ya always have the craziest gizmos," Bobble said with a shy grin her way. "But I think I can top that now."

"Oh, _really_?" Tink raised an eyebrow challengingly. "Now _that_ I would like to see!"

"You're on!"

And with that, the two fairies walked off into the Hollow. The war was over. Shade was gone. Peace had returned, and, for the moment, all seemed right in the world.

* * *

_But meanwhile..._

A fist slammed against a tree, causing the entire thing to shake violently. "You _lost_!"

"It wasn't my fault!" came the protest. "The sparrowman! He has power like I have never seen! Even Shade wasn't enough to-"

"Shade was nothing more than a _puppet. _You should have dealt with him _yourself! _Now they'll see him as some kind of savior!"  
The voice shook with rage. "Nevermind. I don't want to hear your pitiful excuses. The boy is not dead, and that is on you. However, I can sense his powers weakening."

"Sire...?"

"He thinks he's safe, giving up the one thing that makes him special. Strong-willed for a tinker, to five away so much power. Unexpected, even. But I _kno_w what makes him squirm at night. I know what he sees in his sleep. And I know _just__ how _to use it. He may think this battle is over, but the truth is, the war has yet to begin."

FIN.


End file.
